Drought in Rabun, Georgia

After a near-record dry April, the impacts of months-long precipitation deficits as high as 18 resulted in extreme to exceptional drought conditions lingering into May across northeast Georgia. Many pastures and hayfields were rated poor-to-very poor, resulting in forage shortages. Crop stress affected soybeans, delayed or reduced planting for corn and other crops, and lowered vegetable yields. Reservoirs, lakes, and streams were well below normal. Mandatory or voluntary conservation measures were in place in multiple systems, and some ponds and smaller supplies were critically low. Fire danger remained abnormally high and the wildfire season extended into May across the mountains, although the threat steadily decreased during the first half of the month owing to greenup and a continued statewide burn ban. A transition to a very wet pattern finally brought some relief late in the month, as May rainfall wound up 150 to 200% of normal. Some locations across the Piedmont received around 300% of normal May rainfall. Drought category was reduced to moderate-to-severe across the area by the start of June.