Drought Continues to Worsen in Northeast Georgia

Extreme drought conditions are creeping into parts of northeast Georgia and close to Stephens County.

According to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, which was released last Thursday, extreme drought can now be found in a patch of northeast Georgia that includes central and southern Franklin County, southern Banks County, and western Hart County, along with parts of Madison and Elbert counties.

Extreme drought is the second most severe category on the drought monitor, eclipsed only by exceptional drought.

Stephens County remains in severe drought, according to the Drought Monitor, which is a level below extreme drought.

Almost all of north Georgia joins Stephens County in at least severe drought conditions.

Currently, just over a quarter of the state is in severe drought or worse conditions, up from about 14.5 percent of the state last week.

Overall, about half of the state of Georgia, the northern half for the most part is in some sort of dry or drought conditions.

That is around the same as last week’s Drought Monitor report.