MIDWAY, Fla. (WTXL) -- Another week of limited to no rainfall around the Florida/Georgia state line caused the drought classification to be raised to the Moderate to Severe category in some western and central portions of the region this week.
The newest release of information from the National Drought Mitigation Center expanded the Moderate Drought category through the central Big Bend, as far east as the Aucilla and Withlacoochee rivers.
The situation in the Flint River area also worsened to Severe drought levels.
Extreme to Exceptional drought conditions remain entrenched in middle and north Georgia, the Chattahoochee River basin, and parts of the Tennessee Valley.
The Southeast Regional Climate Center reports some locations in the interior Southeastern U.S. had their driest three-month period on record, extending back to mid-August. The dry stretch has exacerbated already dry conditions, with below-average rainfall in many areas of the Southeast since the beginning of 2016.
Long-range projections don't hold much promise for substantial rain activity in these parched regions. Seasonal rain totals are forecast to remain below typical levels, and drought impacts are expected to linger for several months.
