The drought that has been slowly creeping back into Georgia in recent weeks picked up the pace this past week and now covers 94 percent of the state, compared to 35 percent just a week ago.
All of Hall County and most other counties are now experiencing drought conditions to one degree or another, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM).
The only areas still deemed drought-free are a swath of counties from Towns to Floyd, which includes northern portions of White, Lumpkin and Dawson. Also, parts of Gwinnett, DeKalb, Rockdale, and Walton are considered free of drought conditions.
The level of Lake Lanier remains virtually unchanged from what it was a week ago.
You can get the full picture in Georgia yourself here: Georgia | U.S. Drought Monitor (unl.edu)
Meanwhile, people in some counties, Henry and Coweta among them, are being asked to conserve water as the drought intensifies and Georgia deals with temperatures 8-10 degrees above normal for this time of the year.
Jake Carter with Southern Belle Farms in Henry County say there’s just not enough rain right now. He tells Atlanta News First the only way his farm is surviving is through drip irrigation. And Henry County Water Authority General Manager Tony Carnell says the demand for water is outpacing their supply.
While we’re getting a break from the recent higher-than-normal temperatures, they are likely to return shortly, forecasters say.
(Georgia News Network contributed to this story.)