Drought Information Statement for Central Alabama Valid May 14, 2026 Issued By: NWS Birmingham, AL This product will be updated only if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. DROUGHT CONDITIONS REMAIN STEADY ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. Drought intensity and Extent D4 Exceptional Drought: None. D3 Extreme Drought: A few counties in the southeast continue to have extreme drought conditions. D2 and D1 Severe/Moderate Drought: Most of the remaining area is experiencing either severe or moderate drought. D0 Abnormally Dry: A few counties in the northwest are now showing abnormally dry conditions. U.S. Drought Monitor Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: Over the past 4 weeks, the northeast group of counties have had the most change with drought slowly increasing in intensity. No Change and Drought Improvement: Most of the area had some minor improvement or no change within the past 4 weeks. Recent Change in Drought Intensity Link to the latest 4-week change map for central Alabama Temperatures 7 and 30 Day Anomalies Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts Following a few days of wetting rains, streamflows increased temporarily but are now beginning to return back to below normal levels. Agricultural Impacts In January, the USDA designated 19 Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas due to the drought conditions impacting row-crop yields and forage availability. Planting in the spring in some areas was delayed. Much of Alabama’s pasture and rangeland is rated in “poor” or “very poor” conditions. Fire Hazard Impacts There has been an increased amount of wildfire activity across Central Alabama within the last two months and the statewide fire alert remains in effect at this time. Other Impacts None Drought Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information. Hydrologic Conditions & Impacts The effects from last weeks rainfall is slowly diminishing. Below normal streamflows will return as temperatures rise and dry weather continues. Some navigation issues may be possible for barge traffic on the lower Alabama River. Hydrologic Conditions & Impacts Latest observed river conditions Latest river forecasts Agricultural Impacts Recent heavy rainfall has resulted in some temporary soil moisture improvements across much of the area. Fire Hazard Impacts Link to Wildfire Potential Outlooks from the National Interagency Coordination Center. There have been an increase of wildfires across central Alabama over the past month due to the drought conditions. The Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) has issued a statewide Fire Alert. Fire Alert Several local municipalities have issued their own “no burn” notices. May features an above average potential for fires for coastal Alabama. State Alerts The latest Alabama drought declaration map has all of Alabama in either an watch or warning status. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast The next 7 days will feature mostly dry conditions across Central Alabama. Some periods of light, scattered showers will be possible towards the end of the 7 day period. Medium Range Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage The seasonal outlook for the next 3 month period is calling for medium chances of above average temperatures. Rainfall probabilities during this same time-frame are calling for near normal chances across the north with slightly higher than average chances in the south. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage The latest seasonal outlook released by the CPC on April 30th and valid through July, shows a mix of improvement and persistence across the area.