Drought Loosens Grip over portions of North & Central Georgia

Drought Loosens Grip over portions of North & Central Georgia
A Summary of rainfall since January 1st

Near or above normal rainfall across portions of north and central Georgia since January 1st has helped loosen the grip of the Drought that has affected portions of Georgia since March of 2006. Several periods of soaking rains have brought improvement to rainfall deficits and soil moisture. Since the beginning of the year, portions of north and central Georgia have received measurable rain approximately every two weeks. Throughout this cycle, the rainfall amounts have increased with each successive event. A comparison of rainfall deficits for the past 30,90,180 & 365 days available for Atlanta, Athens, Columbus and Macon shows rainfall values are near or above normal for the past 30 days at each location. Meanwhile, the Rainfall Scorecard shows how monthly rainfall totals compare with years past for Atlanta, Athens, Columbus and Macon.

While there has been beneficial rainfall, significant hydrological impacts to water supply, stream flows and ground water tables continue over northeast Georgia. This includes that Lake Lanier Basin which continues to be significantly impacted by the long term severe drought.

Rainfall Map & Percent of Normal Map through April 2nd.

map showing rainfall amounts for the period of January 1 - April 2, 2009

map showing the percentage of rainfall compared to normal for the period of January 1 - April 2, 2009