Not Enough Rain for Drought-Stricken Southeast

This was the drought status as of March 20, 2012, according to NOAA's Drought Monitor. Dark red areas indicate exceptional drought while yellow areas are regions where conditions are abnormally dry.

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

Mar 23, 2012; 3:17 PM ET

The same slow-moving storm that flooding portions of the South Central states this week will make only a brief visit to some needy areas of the Southeast into the weekend.
While the storm system will not have the same long-duration rainfall it once did, parts of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina will receive some downpours.
Showers and thunderstorms will spread slowly eastward through Saturday and will then exit most of the southern Atlantic Seaboard Saturday night. A few showers may continue over part of the Carolinas on Sunday.
There is the potential for localized rainfall reaching between 1 and 2 inches.
The rain will produce some runoff which will be captured by reservoirs and lakes, but much more is needed.
Unfortunately, most areas may struggle to reach 0.50 of an inch with a few places being missed entirely; It's not the type of system that will bring lasting relief.
Along with the downpours will come the risk of locally severe thunderstorms. The storms have the potential to bring frequent lightning strikes, urban flooding, strong wind gusts and hail.
Rainfall deficits in the region since last fall range from 30 to 60 percent of normal. In many cases, the drought is severe to extreme and extends well into last year. Some locations are running a rainfall deficit of more than 2 feet of rain over the past two years.

Augusta, Ga., home of the Masters golf tournament (April 2-8 this year), has only received about 35 percent of the normal rainfall since Jan. 1, 2012. The percentage is similar reaching back to Aug. 1, 2011.
The situation is serious in portions of the South with some lake levels plunging, small streams and swamps drying up and some larger waterways diminishing to a trickle. Ground water levels were nearing historic low levels due to the ongoing deficits.
Moving forward, the rain is raising concerns for the water supply this summer, if the stingy rainfall pattern continues.
Evaporation rates will increase in the months ahead as temperatures climb, days get longer and sunshine becomes intense.

Not Enough Rain for Drought-Stricken Southeast