Drought Information Statement for North and Central Georgia
Valid May 28, 2026
Issued By: National Weather Service Atlanta / Peachtree City, GA
Contact Information: sr-ffc.webmaster@noaa.gov
This product will be updated June 11, 2026 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly.  
Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
Please visit https://www.weather.gov/ffc/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 
Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates for regional drought status updates.
Continued Drought Improvement Following This Week’s Soaking Rains
Small Improvements: Level 1 Drought Response remains in place, but recent rainfall provided further pockets of improvements in the Drought Monitor.
Persistent Impacts: Even with small improvements, dry, significant drought persists across much of the state.

U.S. Drought Monitor

Drought intensity and Extent:
D4 (Exceptional Drought): Emanuel, Montgomery, Telfair, Toombs, Wheeler
D3 (Extreme Drought): Banks, Barrow, Bibb, Butts, Carroll, Chattahoochee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dawson, DeKalb, Dodge, Dooly, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Harris, Henry, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Lumpkin, Macon, Marion, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Murray, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pike, Pulaski, Putnam, Rockdale, Schley, Spalding, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Towns, Treutlen, Troup, Union, Upson, Walton, Webster, White, Whitfield, Wilcox
D2 (Severe Drought): Baldwin, Bartow, Bleckley, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Floyd, Glascock, Gordon, Hancock, Heard, Houston, Jefferson, Madison, Muscogee, Peach, Pickens, Polk, Taliaferro, Twiggs, Walker, Warren, Washington, Wilkes, Wilkinson
D1 (Moderate Drought): None.
D0 (Abnormally Dry): None.
D4 (Exceptional Drought): 
D3 (Extreme Drought): 
D2 (Severe Drought): 
D1 (Moderate Drought):
D0 (Abnormally Dry):
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Drought Worsened: None.
No Change: Baldwin, Barrow, Bleckley, Carroll, Clayton, Crisp, DeKalb, Dooly, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Gwinnett, Hall, Heard, Henry, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Lumpkin, Meriwether, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Pike, Pulaski, Rockdale, Schley, Spalding, Sumter, Towns, Treutlen, Troup, Twiggs, Union, Walton, Webster, White, Wilkinson
Drought Improved: Banks, Bartow, Bibb, Butts, Catoosa, Chattahoochee, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Cobb, Coweta, Crawford, Dade, Dawson, Dodge, Emanuel, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Glascock, Gordon, Greene, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Macon, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Murray, Muscogee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Polk, Putnam, Stewart, Talbot, Taliaferro, Taylor, Telfair, Toombs, Upson, Walker, Warren, Washington, Wheeler, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes
The 4-week change map is available here. The 1-week change map is shown right.
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Precipitation - Past 30 Days
The Additional Rainfall Information product (MISATL) is available online at weather.gov/ffc.
Through Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 8AM:
The continued active pattern brought numerous rainfall events over the last 14-days, provident some areas with enough accumulations to produce further drought improvements.  In some cases, rainfall exceeded the 30-day normal, resulting in isolated flash flooding and quick runoff.
Rainfall over the last 30-days ranged from 4 to 10 inches (100 to 300% of normal) across north and central Georgia. This rainfall was enough to boost the 60-day rainfall to within 10% (or greater than) normal. However, the majority of the state still has deficits of 7-12 inches since October 1, around when this drought period began. 
National Water Prediction Service link to the 30-day precipitation map for North and Central Georgia
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Temperatures - Past 30-, 7-Days
Through May 10, 2026.
*Note, the table values are for the 30-day period ending on the date at the top of the table. This period matches  the latency for the 30-day and 7-day max temperature anomaly images (right).
For the 30-day period ending May 10, average high temperatures were near to slightly below normal (-2 to +1 degrees) over most of north and central Georgia (image center, table). The more active weather pattern and related cloud cover and precipitation produced slightly above normal high temperatures (image right) in the 7 day period ending May 10.
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Summary of Impacts
Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter
Hydrologic Impacts 
Streamflows have seen significant recover with recent rainfall during a more active weather pattern. However, as warming temperatures encourage further green up, higher demand on water sources and increased evapotranspiration could see a return of stress on water supplies and soil moisture.  See slide 7 for additional details.

Agricultural Impacts
Reports continue to indicate near-total crop failure, livestock mortality, and the depletion of natural water sources. Farmers continue to report dire pasture/forage conditions, even with rotating pastures.
The Crop Progress & Condition charts shows extremely low percentages for winter wheat and pasture and range. Though corn conditions have improved (remaining below the 5 year average).
Fire Hazard Impacts
Rainfall and improved fuel moistures have permitted NWS and fire partners to return to normal thresholds for NWS fire-related products. Burn bans remain in place in many municipalities.

Mitigation Actions
Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information. Many areas have burn bans in place and have instituted Drought Response Level 1, including restricted outdoor watering schedules. Refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information. 

Main Takeaways
Recent rainfall has produced rises on area creeks and rivers, and the 28-day average streamflow still generally ranges from Normal to Extremely Low in all major river basins (though a few regions are above normal due to pockets of heavier rain). Atlanta-area creeks have rebounded more than the more rural locations.
Despite the recent rainfall, Lake and Reservoir levels continue to show the impacts of a long, persistent dry period, with many reservoirs below seasonal normals. The available elevation curves for USACE projects in the NWS Peachtree City area show:

*Action zones used in some charts are defined here.
USACE Lakes
Current Action Zone
Forecast Action Zone
Carters
Zone 1
Zone 1
Lanier
Zone 3
Zone 3
Allatoona
Zone 3
Zone 2
West Point
Top of Conservation
Zone 1
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Agricultural Impacts
The relative soil moisture (image right) graphic shows the level of saturation in the top 6 feet of the soil relative to the total capacity of the soil. 
Even with the recent rainfall, the deep soil profile across the majority of Georgia is still only at 5 to 40% of its total capacity.
Far north Georgia has seen improvement over the last two weeks (far right image) with soils at 50 to 65% of its total capacity.
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Fire Hazard Impacts
Link to Wildfire Potential Outlooks from the National Interagency Coordination Center.
Keetch Byram Drought Index values (KDBI) over north and central Georgia are generally <50-300 in most locations, given the recent rainfall. KBDI provides an estimate of dryness of soils and surface fuels) 

At this time, above normal wildland fire potential is expected for southeast portions of Georgia for June, as indicated in the Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook (far right). This above normal potential is expected to continue into Summer.

The Wildfire Potential Outlook (table) indicates Moderate (level 3 of 4) for portions of south and central Georgia Sunday through Wednesday. 

Wildfire Potential Outlook
FRI
SAT
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
L/N
L/N
L/N
L/N
L/N
L/N
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100.0% of GA
April 28, 2026
Largest D2-D4 coverage in Georgia*:
95.2% of GA
TODAY
Current D2-D4 coverage in Georgia:
Drought: Historical Context
Link to Drought Monitor Time Series
The time series is courtesy of the US Drought Monitor. This graph shows the depiction of the D0, D1, D2, D3, and D4 drought across the state of Georgia since January 2000.
For the Drought Event beginning in September 2025, for the entire state of Georgia:
Sep 23, 2025
First D2 (Severe) Drought in Georgia:
D4 (Exceptional)
April 28, 2026 (33.3%)
Maximum drought category so far:

*for this drought period

The 7-day outlook (through May 21, pictured right):

Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are forecast for the next 7-days.
Fortunately, the greatest amounts are located over areas with worst drought.
The 8-14 day outlook (May 20-26, image far) shows above normal precipitation chances.
Precipitation Outlook
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Rapid Onset Drought Outlook
Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook.
Summarize conditions and impacts here

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Long-Range Outlooks
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
For June through August:

Near normal chances of precipitation are expected across portions of central Georgia (image right). 

Above normal temperatures are expected over Georgia (far right). 
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Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Links to the latest:
Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook 
Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook 
Drought is expected to persist across north Georgia into mid-summer. Over central Georgia.
Drought improvement is expected in portions of southeast Georgia into mid-summer.
Drought Information Statements will be updated every two weeks while D2 Severe Drought (or worse) continues in north and central Georgia.
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