Southeast Covered in Drought Conditions

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.

By Clint Thompson

According to the latest release of the U.S. Drought Monitor, almost all of the Southeast is experiencing some level of dry conditions.

All of Florida is either abnormally dry or moderately dry. The worst conditions are observed in the Florida Panhandle and Northeast Florida. Moderate conditions start in Escambia County and stretch eastward to Gadsden, Liberty and Franklin counties. Moderate conditions are also seen in Taylor and Lafayette counties, stretching eastward to Duval and Saint Johns counties and southward to Marion and Citrus counties.

Most of Georgia is experiencing abnormal or moderately dry conditions. The worst area is located in North Georgia. It starts in Cobb, Fulton and DeKalb counties, stretches northeastward to Rabun, Habersham, Stephens and northwestward along the Georgia-Tennessee state line.

The majority of Alabama is experiencing drought, ranging from abnormally dry conditions to extreme drought, located in Limestone and Madison counties in North Alabama. Severe drought is also observed in two counties just south, Lawrence and Morgan. The other part of Alabama that is experiencing mostly severe drought is located in the western part of the state in Choctaw, Clarke, Marengo, Sumter, Hale, Perry, Dallas and Wilcox counties.