Drought conditions have worsened across western Georgia and the metro Atlanta area, and forecasters say the next chance of rain won’t be enough to help. The lack of rain has pushed parts of the state into an extreme drought.
What’s Happening: The U.S. National Weather Service reports that extreme drought conditions now cover parts of western Georgia and metro Atlanta. Moderate and severe drought areas have also expanded across North and Central Georgia after a drier-than-average September and October.
What’s Important: Most of Georgia needs between 3.25 and 6 inches of rain over the course of a month to end the current drought. That is more than the average rainfall for the entire month of November in cities like Atlanta, which typically gets just under 4 inches.
By The Numbers: The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows how quickly conditions have changed across the state.
- Currently, more than 97% of Georgia is experiencing at least “Abnormally Dry” conditions.
- Three months ago, less than 23% of the state was considered abnormally dry.
What’s Next: With low rainfall amounts expected over the next 7 to 10 days, the National Weather Service says drought conditions will likely continue or even get worse.
The Sources: The U.S. National Weather Service in Peachtree City and the U.S. Drought Monitor.
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B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.
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