Natural Disasters: Drought
Special Drought Statement
Office of the State Climatologist
Issued by David Emory Stooksbury, State Climatologist
11 June 2008
Athens, Ga. - Extreme drought conditions have spread into most of northeast Georgia. Extreme drought classification occurs when numerous drought indicators in a region are at levels expected about once in 50 years.
The counties in northeast Georgia classified as being in extreme drought are Union, Towns, Rabun, Lumpkin, White, Habersham, Stephens, Hall, Banks, Franklin, Hart, Jackson, Barrow, Clarke, Madison, Elbert, Oconee, Olgethorpe and portions of the surrounding counties.
The USGS stream gage network reports many rivers in northeast Georgia are at or near record low flows for the middle of June. Daily record low flows are being reported on the Chattooga River near Clayton and the Broad River at Bell.
Near record low flows are occurring on the Middle Oconee River near Athens at 26 percent of normal flow, the Chattahoochee River near Cornelia at 28 percent of normal flow and the Chestatee River near Dahlonega at 33 percent of normal flow.
The Broad River near Bell is approaching the 7Q10 value. In southwest Georgia, Ichawaynochaway Creek at Milford is below the 7Q10 value.
Across northeast Georgia soil moisture is near the 95th percentile. At the 95th percentile soil moisture levels would be higher 95 out of 100 years in middle June.
Drought conditions are rapidly intensifying across the coastal plain, especially in south-central and southwest Georgia. The western coastal plain is currently classified as being in moderate drought. If conditions continue to worsen, this region could be reclassified as being in severe drought in two weeks. Most of the eastern coastal plain could be reclassified as being in moderate drought in two weeks is drought conditions continue to intensify.
Daily record low flows in south Georgia are being reported on the Ochlockonee River near Thomasville, the Little River near Adel, the Withlacoochee River near Quitman and the Ocmulgee River at Lumber City.
The next drought update will be in two weeks.
Additional drought information can be found at the state drought page, www.georgiadrought.org. Current weather conditions from over 80 automated weather stations across Georgia is available at www.georgiaweather.net. Daily rainfall from CoCoRaHS is available at www.cocorahs.org. Water resources information from USGS is available at ga.water.usgs.gov. Water conservation information is available at www.conservewatergeorgia.net.
(David Emory Stooksbury is the state climatologist and a professor in engineering and atmospheric sciences at The University of Georgia.)