Drought, Elbert
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Elbert forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.117, -82.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in Georgia, September 1 to 30, 2007
Extreme drought conditions persisted across northeast Georgia through September, as the region experienced another month of well-below normal precipitation. By the end of the month, most locations were running a yearly rainfall deficit of 11-17 inches.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.
Extreme drought conditions persisted across northeast Georgia through September, as the region experienced another month of well-below normal precipitation. By the end of the month, most locations were running a yearly rainfall deficit of 11-17 inches. Stream flows and groundwater levels were near record low levels, with many streams running at 5 percent or less of normal flow. Water levels on area reservoirs were some of the lowest in recorded history. Agricultural interests continued to be especially hard hit. Farmers continued to struggle to feed livestock due to a lack of hay and poor pasture conditions, forcing many cattle to be sold or slaughtered. Agricultural and other losses attributed to the drought are estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. County-based losses for the growing season will be included in next month's Storm Data.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 9:06 PM EST, 2 hours 54 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 9:06 PM EST, 2 hours 54 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1006 PM EDT FRI AUG 31 2007 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTH OF OUR AREA TONIGHT AND BECOME STATIONARY NEAR THE GULF COAST THIS WEEKEND. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD SOUTH FROM THE GREAT LAKES AND NORTHEAST STATES...AS A MOIST EASTERLY FLOW DEVELOPS FROM THE ATLANTIC. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/... EARLIER AREA OF STORMS HAS DIMINISHED...BUT UPSLOPE INDUCED CONVECTION BEGINNING. WILL UPDATE POP FORECAST TO KEEP SCT CONVECTION ALONG THE ESCARPMENT AND ISOLATED ELSEWHERE. CHANGED SKY CONDITION EARLY TO REFLECT ONGOING CONDITIONS. OTHERWISE ONLY MINOR CHANGES TO LOWS AND WINDS. VERY LATE TONIGHT AND DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY...THE LLVL UPSLOPE FLOW WILL INCREASE AS COLD AIR DAMMING SETS UP ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NE GA. THE UPSHOT OF THIS IS THAT THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT WILL NOT BE AS UNSTABLE AN IN RECENT DAYS...BUT AREAS ALONG THE LEE SLOPES SHOULD SEE ABUNDANT SHOWER AND SOME THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY DURING THE DAY. I/VE ONLY GOT A 50 POP ALONG THE ESCARPMENT FOR NOW...AS THE DEEP LAYER RH IS A LITTLE LOW THROUGH THE END OF THE DAY TOMORROW...BUT WE MAY STILL NEED TO RAISE THAT TO NUMEROUS IN LATER UPDATES. MAX TEMPS WILL BE COMPARATIVELY COOL...ONLY RISING INTO THE L-M80S MOST FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT AREAS...AND NOT GETTING OUT OF THE 60S IN SOME HIGHER MTN ELEVATIONS. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... THE UPPER PATTERN ON SATURDAY NIGHT CONSISTS OF A PROGRESSIVE WEAKENING TROUGH OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST...AND A WEAK UPPER LOW NEAR THE EASTERN GULF COAST. THE UPPER LOW MEANDERS ON SUNDAY AND WEAKENS SUNDAY...BUT A WEAK TROUGH REMAINS BETWEEN THE RIDGES OVER THE WESTERN USA AND FLORIDA. THE GFS AND NAM MODELS CARRY A SURFACE LOW NEAR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...WITH A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDING TO THE EAST. EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF AN EAST COAST SURFACE RIDGE WILL DIRECT MOISTURE INTO THE ELEVATED TERRAIN OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS FOR MUCH OF DAYS TWO AND THREE. THE HIGHEST POPS WILL BE FAVORED IN THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY... AND THE ADJACENT BLUE RIDGE ESCARPMENT...WHERE THE BEST MOISTURE IN OUR AREA WILL BE LOCATED. INSTABILITY IS RATHER LIMITED...BUT ENOUGH EXISTS IN PROXIMITY TO THE AREA TO SUGGEST THUNDER ACROSS OUR REGION. MODIFIED HPC QPF YIELDS OVER TWO INCHES OF RAINFALL IN THE UPPER SAVANNAH VALLEY OVER 48 HOURS. FORTUNATELY THE EVENT APPEARS SPREAD OUT ENOUGH IN TIME THAT DRY ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS WILL BE TOUGH TO OVERWHELM. TEMPERATURES WILL EXHIBIT A REDUCED DIURNAL RANGE WITH CLOUDS...ELEVATED DEW POINTS...AND PRECIPITATION... ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH PORTION OF THE AREA. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF HAVE A WEAK UPPER RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHEAST USA...DESPITE BEING SOMEWHAT OUT OF PHASE IN THE NORTHERN STREAM. THE GFS DEPICTS A WEAK UPPER LOW OVER THE DEEP SOUTH...WHICH THE HPC PREFERRED ECMWF DOES NOT. THE STATIONARY FRONT OVER NORTH FLORIDA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN THERE ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...WITH ITS MOISTURE WELL SOUTH OF OUR AREA. DESPITE THE FRONTS DEMISE LATE IN THE WEEK...AN ATLANTIC SURFACE RIDGE WILL KEEP A NORTHEASTERLY SURFACE FLOW OVER THE AREA INTO FRIDAY...MODERATING ANY TEMPERATURE GAIN FROM THE RISING HEIGHTS ALOFT. THE GFS SHOWS MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF THE FRONT MOVING NORTH TOWARD THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AS A COLD FRONT MOVES EAST INTO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY LATE IN THE WEEK...IMPROVING THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WITH TIME. && .AVIATION /02Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... TSTMS WILL DIMINISH WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING. CANNOT RULE OUT SOME ISOLATED COVERAGE UNTIL MIDNIGHT...BUT ANY INCLUSION IN TAFS WILL BE AN ISSUANCE TIME DECISION. STORMS HAVE PLAYED HAVOC WITH WIND DIRECTION. GENERAL WIND FLOW IS NNE...BUT WINDS COULD COME FROM ANY DIRECTION AS STORMS AFFECT THE NEAR AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT. EXPECT WIDESPREAD MVFR FOG OVERNIGHT WITH OCCASIONAL IFR NEAR DAYBREAK IN THE NORMALLY FOGGIER STIES. AFTER SUNRISE TMRW...SOME COLD AIR DAMMING BEGINS TO AFFECT THE REGION. THAT WILL INCREASE THE SURFACE WINDS CLOSE TO 10 KTS OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. THIS COULD ALSO HELP DEVELOP AN OVERCAST DECK AFTER SUNRISE TOMORROW. MOS PRODUCTS AND MODEL SOUNDINGS IMPLY THAT THIS DECK WILL BE FAIRLY HIGH...SAY 3 TO 4 KFT...BUT IT MAY COME IN A LITTLE LOWER. AVIATION OUTLOOK...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. AN UPPER LOW OVER THE DEEP SOUTH WILL KEEP LOW CLOUDS AND GOOD RAIN CHANCES IN THE REGION SAT NGHT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY. EXPECT RESTRICTIVE CIGS AND VSBYS DURING THIS TIME. CONDITIONS MAY IMPROVE TUE...BEFORE SCT CONVECTION DEVELOPS AGAIN WED AND THU. EXPECT MAINLY MORNING MVFR RESTRICTIONS THESE DAYS. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DEO NEAR TERM...MCAVOY/RWH SHORT TERM...JAT LONG TERM...JAT AVIATION...MCAVOY/RWH
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 31, 9:23 PM EST, 2 hours 37 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1023 PM EDT FRI AUG 31 2007 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-020230- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-ALEXANDER- IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA- ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA- HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC- CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE- MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS- GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS- PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE- GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK- ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 1023 PM EDT FRI AUG 31 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT...MAINLY ALONG AND NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 6:02 PM EST, 5 hours 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 702 PM EDT FRI AUG 31 2007 SCZ010-312330- ANDERSON- 702 PM EDT FRI AUG 31 2007 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN ANDERSON COUNTY THROUGH 730 PM EDT... AT 658 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES WEST OF BROADWAY LAKE...OR 5 MILES SOUTH OF ANDERSON...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. INTENSE LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. ARK
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 6:45 PM EST, 5 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 745 PM EDT FRI AUG 31 2007 GAZ018-026-SCZ004-010015- FRANKLIN-GREATER OCONEE-STEPHENS- 745 PM EDT FRI AUG 31 2007 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN FRANKLIN...SOUTHERN OCONEE AND STEPHENS COUNTIES THROUGH 815 PM EDT... AT 744 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LAKE HARTWELL...OR 12 MILES EAST OF TOCCOA...MOVING WEST AT 20 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LAKE HARTWELL...WHITWORTH...TOCCOA...MARTIN...EASTANOLEE...BOYDVILLE... AVALON AND OAKWAY. WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. INTENSE LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. ARK
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 7:16 PM EST, 4 hours 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 816 PM EDT FRI AUG 31 2007 GAZ017-018-026-010045- FRANKLIN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS- 816 PM EDT FRI AUG 31 2007 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN FRANKLIN...SOUTHERN HABERSHAM AND WESTERN STEPHENS COUNTIES THROUGH 845 PM EDT... AT 814 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTH OF TOCCOA...MOVING WEST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... CORNELIA BY 845 PM EDT. WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. HEAVY RAINS MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS...AND FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE...THEREFORE SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS. ARK
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 7:21 PM EST, 4 hours 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 821 PM EDT FRI AUG 31 2007 GAZ017-018-026-010045- FRANKLIN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS- 821 PM EDT FRI AUG 31 2007 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN FRANKLIN...SOUTHERN HABERSHAM AND WESTERN STEPHENS COUNTIES THROUGH 845 PM EDT... AT 818 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTH OF TOCCOA...MOVING WEST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... CORNELIA BY 845 PM EDT. WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. HEAVY RAINS MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE...THEREFORE SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS. ARK
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Franklin
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Franklin forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.375, -83.229 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Habersham
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Habersham forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.631, -83.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Hart
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Hart forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.351, -82.964 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Rabun
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Rabun forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.882, -83.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Stephens
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Stephens forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.554, -83.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Drought
- A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Excessive Heat in California, September 1 to 3, 2007
- Excessive Heat and Heat in California, September 1 to 4, 2007
- Drought in Georgia, September 1 to 30, 2007
- Wildfire in California, September 1 to 2, 2007
- Drought in Virginia, September 1 to 30, 2007
- Drought in Illinois, September 1 to 30, 2007
- Drought in Kentucky, September 1 to 30, 2007
- Drought in North Carolina, September 1 to 30, 2007
- Drought in Indiana, September 1 to 30, 2007
- Drought in Missouri, September 1 to 30, 2007
- Tornado and Flash Flood in California, September 1 to 3, 2007
- Flood and Lightning Strikes in Florida, September 1, 2007
More
Every storm in Georgia in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, September 2007
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 60921, 60922, 60923, 60924, 60925, 60926.