Georgia is drought free for the first time in more than a year.
This week's map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows a very small area in east Georgia as "abnormally dry," but that's not considered drought, according to climatologists.
Last week a small area of White County was still labeled as being in moderate drought, but lower than normal temperatures and above average rainfall erased that status.
The last time the entire state of Georgia was drought free was April 19, 2016, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Officials said other Southeastern states are in good shape, as well, thanks to rainfall in the region.
"During the past 30 days, the region has experienced above normal precipitation with areas in southern Alabama and northern Florida receiving accumulations of 10 to 15 inches above normal for the period," this week's report stated. "Overall, soil moisture and stream flow conditions have improved considerably across the region. For the week, average temperatures were 2 to 5 degrees below normal across most of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina while Florida experienced temperatures 2 to 5 degrees above normal."
This week's map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows a very small area in Richmond and Burke counties as 'abnormally dry.' That designation is not considered drought status.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/7/556672/georgia-drought-free-for-the-first-time-since-april-2016