By Clint Thompson
Heavy rains during the Dec. 6-7 weekend reduced some of the drought being experienced across the Southeast.
According to the Dec. 11 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor, there are not any exceptional drought areas across South Georgia and North Florida. Those areas are still highlighted by extreme drought designations.
Georgia
Extreme drought in South Georgia includes Seminole, Miller, Decatur, Baker, Mitchell, Grady, Thomas, Colquitt, Brooks, Cook, Lowndes, Berrien, Lanier, Echols, Clinch, Ware, Charlton, Brantley and Pierce counties. The rest of South Georgia and most of the central part of the state is severely dry. It extends as far north as Coweta, Fayette, Spalding, Pike, Lamar, Monroe, Jones, Baldwin and Hancock counties.
North Georgia has areas that are moderately dry, abnormally dry and with zero dry conditions.
Florida
Extreme drought in North Florida includes Jackson, Calhoun, Liberty, Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson and Madison counties. Severe drought in the northern part of the state extends as far west as Okaloosa and Walton counties and as far east as Baker and Nassau counties. Severe drought is also observed along the west coast, mostly in Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties.
Moderately dry and abnormally dry conditions encompass most of the remaining parts of the state.
Alabama
Extreme drought is also observed in a small area in West Alabama, in Choctaw, Marengo, Greene and Hale counties.
Moderate drought and severe drought encompass most of the state, starting in the southeast corner in Houston, Geneva, Dale and Henry counties; stretching northward to Cleburne, Calhoun and Saint Clair counties; and westward to Choctaw, Sumter and Pickens counties along the Alabama-Mississippi state line. Abnormal drought is seen in most of North Alabama.