By Clint Thompson
Drought conditions continue to worsen across parts of the Southeast, as pop-up thunderstorms have only impacted certain areas of Florida, Georgia and Alabama. This is according to the Sept. 10 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Alabama
It wasn’t that long ago that most of Alabama was drought free and had sufficient moisture. That is in the past, however. The driest part is observed in the southwest part of the state. Severe drought conditions are seen in parts of Baldwin, Mobile and Washington counties. Moderate drought conditions extend throughout most of Southwest Alabama and into the southeastern portion of the state.
It includes all or part of Escambia, Covington, Geneva, Houston, Dale, Coffee, Crenshaw, Butler, Conecuh, Monroe, Clarke, Wilcox, Choctaw, Marengo, Dallas, Perry, Hale, Greene, Tuscaloosa, Bibb and Chilton counties.
All of Northeast Alabama is drought free.
Georgia
Most of Georgia is experiencing abnormally dry conditions. Parts are observing moderate drought conditions. They include Decatur, Grady, Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes, Clinch, Lanier, Berrien, Cook, Colquitt, Mitchell, Baker and Miller counties in Southwest Georgia. Another area includes Ware, Brantley, Pierce, Coffee, Bacon, Appling, Wayne, Long, Tattnall, Liberty, Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, Bulloch and Screven counties in Southeast Georgia.
Moderate drought in North Georgia starts in Troup and Heard counties along the Georgia-Alabama state line and extends northeast to Elbert and Franklin counties. Parts of Hart, Madison, Franklin and Elbert counties are severely dry.
Florida
Nearly all of Florida is experiencing some level of drought, ranging from abnormally dry to extreme drought conditions.
Extreme drought is observed in parts of Gilchrist, Alachua and Columbia counties in North Florida; and in parts of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto and Highlands counties along the west coast. Severe drought extends to Polk and Sarasota counties in western Florida. It is also prevalent in South Florida in Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
The Panhandle and North Florida have mostly abnormally dry moderate drought conditions.