Severe drought conditions now cover nearly all of North Georgia, some areas experiencing extreme drought

Drought conditions continue to spread across the state, with the U.S. Drought Monitor reporting severe drought conditions now encompassing nearly all of North Georgia.
 
In their latest weekly update, the U.S. Drought Monitor says severe drought has settled in across all of Hall, Gwinnett, Dawson and Forsyth counties, as well as Barrow, Jackson, White, Lumpkin and Banks counties.
 
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, severe drought means crop or pasture losses are likely and water shortages are a possibility.
 
Portions of six counties are seeing even drier conditions and are now reported to be experiencing extreme drought. That classification stretches from south Banks County and north Jackson County, through Franklin and Madison counties, and ends in central Hart and Elbert counties.
 
The U.S. Drought Monitor says despite a few instances of rain in the past few days, severe drought conditions have continued to spread northward.
 
Just last week, the mountain counties of northeast Georgia were largely experiencing moderate drought conditions; however, the report says those conditions have escalated enough to transition nearly the entire area into a severe drought classification.
 
The upper reaches of Union and Towns counties are the only area of North Georgia still experiencing moderate drought conditions.
 
The report shows that 48.28-percent of Georgia is suffering from some form of drought, an increase from last week's figure of 47.63-percent.
 
The U.S. Drought Monitor says nearly 11 million people in the southeast region, which includes Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Virginia and the Carolinas, currently live in an area that is experiencing some level of drought.