The latest Drought Monitor, released this morning, shows an expansion of extreme and exceptional drought in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. The extreme drought conditions now extend around most of the Atlanta metro area, although the city is only in moderate to severe drought. Abnormally dry conditions now cover the entire state of Alabama where drought is not already present. A small area of extreme drought is also occurring in South Carolina.
Hurricane Matthew did eliminate the strip of abnormally dry conditions along the Atlantic coast with several inches of rain observed in many locations there. Unfortunately, drought conditions are likely to continue deteriorating in the next week as above-normal temperatures and virtually no rain is expected in the heart of the drought region.
If you think that the Drought Monitor is not adequately capturing what is happening in your area, feel free to email me telling me where you are located and why you think it should be worse (or better) and I will pass your comments along to the Drought Monitor folk.
