By Clint Thompson
Much-needed rainfall continues to alleviate some of the drought being experienced across the Southeast. This is according to the Oct. 22 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Florida
All of the Florida Panhandle has sufficient moisture, while most of North Florida has abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions. All of the counties along the east coast in Florida has sufficient moisture with zero drought conditions. Abnormally dry conditions stretch from North Florida down the western part of the state to South Florida.
Severe drought is observed in Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee and Highlands counties in western Florida. It is also reported in South Florida in Collier, Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
Alabama
Counties in Southeast Alabama and near the central part of the state have sufficient moisture. Moderate drought conditions extend from the northern half of Baldwin County in the Gulf northward up the western area of the state to Colbert and Lawrence counties and eastward to Jackson, Dekalb and Cherokee counties. Extreme drought is seen in a couple of areas; one in parts of Hale, Greene and Tuscaloosa; and in Northwest Alabama in Lauderdale County.
Severe drought is seen along the northern border and in western Alabama.
Georgia
Most of South Georgia has sufficient moisture, though a couple of areas are still experiencing abnormal drought.
Severe drought is still being observed in a couple of areas, including in parts of Troup, Heard, Coweta and Meriwether counties in West Georgia. The other area with severe drought starts in Bibb and Crawford counties in central Georgia and expands northeastward to include parts of Monroe, Jones, Jasper, Putnam, Morgan, Greene, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Clarke, Madison, Elbert, Hart and Franklin counties.
Abnormally dry conditions cover most of the remaining areas in the central and northern areas of Georgia.