ATLANTA (AP) — The drought, which had a firm grip on most of the southeast, including Gainesville, just a few weeks ago continues to recede in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.
Almost one-third of South Carolina and more than one-third of Georgia recorded no drought as of last Tuesday, according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor. In Alabama, 70% of the state is now drought-free.
Areas of moderate and severe drought also declined.
Drought conditions in Gainesville and Hall County are now classified as "moderate" to "severe." Pockets of northwest Georgia are now drought-free, wIith other sections of north Georgia ranging from "abnormally dry" to "moderate" to "severe."
This follows recent rains across much of the eastern part of the country. High heat and little rainfall spread a quick-developing drought across the South in late summer. Even as late as two weeks ago, the map of Georgia looked much different.
On Oct. 1, all of Alabama and Georgia were in drought, along with almost all of Mississippi and all but the northeastern corner of South Carolina. Rains quenched Mississippi’s drought earlier.
(AccessWDUN's Ken Stanford contributed to this story.)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2019/11/851825/drought-recedes-as-rain-waters-parched-areas-of-southeast