By Clint Thompson
The most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor reflects worsening drought conditions across Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
The driest conditions in Alabama are in the western part of the state. Extreme conditions are seen in Marengo, Dallas, Perry, Hale, Greene, Pickens, Tuscaloosa and Bibb counties. Severe conditions are seen in other areas of those counties as well, along with Clarke and Wilcox. The rest of the state is either abnormally dry or moderately dry.
Southwest Georgia remains the driest part of the state with extreme drought recorded in all or parts of Grady, Thomas, Mitchell, Colquitt, Worth and Tift counties. Severe drought is also observed as far west as Seminole, Early and Miller counties; as far north as Lee, Worth and Turner counties; and as far east as Bacon and Ware counties. Northwest Georgia is also severely dry, including counties like Harris, Talbot, Meriwether, Upson, Pike, Coweta, Spalding, Fayette, Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, Carroll, Douglas and Cobb.
Abnormally dry conditions are mostly seen in the northeast part of the state, while moderate conditions are seen in central and western Georgia.
North Florida is experiencing dry conditions as well. The northern part of the state is severely dry, including in Walton, Holmes, Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton and Columbia counties.
Abnormally dry conditions are seen along the west coast as well. They start as far north as Levy and Marion counties and stretch southward to Collier and Monroe counties.