Drought in Georgia, October 1 to 31, 2007

Drought conditions persisted and actually worsened during September and October. October, climatologically the driest month of the year anyway, fell even short of normal values at most locations in north and central Georgia. Rainfall deficits of 15 to 20 inches were common in the north and rainfall deficits of 6 to 12 inches were common in central areas. Most areas of the state had only received 30 to 40 percent of normal annual rainfall by the end of October. Some cities were well on track to having their driest year since records had been kept back into the late 1800s. Many lakes and rivers across north and central Georgia were nearing all time record low levels and above ground water supplies were being significantly impacted in many of the larger cities, especially Atlanta. A number of stream gage locations on creeks and rivers in north and central Georgia had established new record low water levels during October, including the major river basins of the Coosa, Chattahoochee, upper Oconee, upper Ocmulgee, and Flint. Significant water conservation measures were being implemented in many cities across north and central Georgia.

Note, the impact of the drought on crops and the estimated monetary damage was included with the September 2007 Storm Data. Additional crop losses from September to October should be minimal in comparison as October marks the end of the growing season.