Drought Monitor Update in Southeast

Clint ThompsonDrought

The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.

The most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows dry areas becoming less and less across Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

Florida’s dry areas remain isolated to two counties in the Panhandle and along the west coast of the state. Moderate dry areas are observed in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Georgia is reported to have sufficient moisture in the southern and central areas of the state. North Georgia consists of abnormally dry and moderately dry conditions. Northwest Georgia remains the driest area, as parts of Dade, Walker and Chattooga counties are severely dry. Other moderately dry conditions are felt as far south as Haralson and Carroll counties and stretch northeastward to Union and Towns counties.

All of central and northern Alabama are reporting varying levels of dry conditions. The worst area is in Northeast Alabama where parts of Saint Clair, Blount, Marshall, Dekalb and Etowah counties are extremely dry, as are parts of Colbert and Lauderdale counties in the northwest corner of the state.

Moderate conditions also stretch to South Alabama in counties like Monroe, Conecuh and Escambia.