ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta has now gone 30 consecutive days without rain for the first time in more than 50 years. Meanwhile, other cities in north Georgia, including Gainesville, are facing similar situations.
News outlets report that Wednesday marked the 31st straight day without measurable rainfall in Atlanta, the longest string of rainless days in the city since 1961.
WSB-TV (http://2wsb.tv/2gkebBD ) reports the city's longest recorded dry streak, 39 days, was set in 1884.
Gainesville, meanwhile, ended 27 straight days without rain on Nov. 12, when .07 inches fell at Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport. That was the first recorded rainfall at the airport since .04 inches on Oct. 16. Cartersville, according to the National Weather Service, has gone 59 consecutive days without measurable rainfall; Macon, 39; and Columbus, 30. Athens ended 28 days without rain Nov. 12.
And, the drought continues to deepen.
Thursday's report from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that all of the mountain counties in Georgia (and about half of Hall County) are now suffering an "exceptional" drought, the most extreme category used by the Monitor to calculate how severe a drought is. Some west and central Georgia counties are also included.
The state's lakes, especially those in the northern third of Georgia, continued to feel the impact of the drought, as well. Lake Lanier, for instances, was down 9.59 feet as of mid-morning Thursday. The level at that time was 1061.41. Full pool is1071.
(AccessWDUN's Ken Stanford contributed to this story.)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/11/471154/atlantas-dry-spell-is-citys-longest-since-1961-gainesville-other-cities-face-similar-situation