MIDWAY, Fla. (WTXL) -- An unsettled, somewhat stormy beginning to 2017 has led to one beneficial point: Extreme drought conditions have been wiped away from the local region.
Areas around the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint river junction, previously stricken with Severe drought conditions or worse, are now considered drought-free, according to the weekly release of drought monitor data provided Thursday.
A few patches of Abnormally Dry sections remain. Many south Georgia counties east of the Flint River, along the Florida/Georgia state line, the lower Apalachicola River basin, and parts of north-central Florida are still encountering slight dryness.
A Moderate Drought category is still in place in south-central Georgia, centered around the Alapaha River and the Arabia Swamp area.
The heaviest rain from the early January disturbance occurred near the central Gulf Coast and parts of the Deep South, but rainfall totals from the storm were adequate enough to replenish moisture sources in the topsoil and local tributaries. Spots that are still abnormally dry are expected to be relatively short in duration, with existing chances for additional rain accumulations over the next few weeks.
