Midway Through Hurricane Season, the Southeast Faces Drier Conditions
As we pass the midway point of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, parts of the Southeast U.S. are experiencing drier-than-normal conditions, raising concerns about drought impacts on agriculture and water supplies.
USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey explains that despite early forecasts predicting an active season, the Atlantic basin has remained relatively quiet so far.
“Indeed, it has been relatively quiet to this point. Six named storms, that’s certainly below expectations that we saw during the forecast initially back in May, during the update in August.”
One key factor is the presence of a deep trough in the jet stream over the eastern U.S. and western Atlantic, which has created hostile wind conditions for storm development.
“In recent weeks, we have had a very deep trough or dip in the jet stream across the eastern part of the United States, extending into the western Atlantic. And that creates some hostile wind conditions. We call it wind shear, and that tends to tear apart developing systems.”
This wind shear has significantly reduced the chances for tropical storms and hurricanes to form.
“So as these waves move off the African coast, they move into effectively an atmospheric buzzsaw. It’s not conducive to the development of strong systems.”
However, Rippey cautions that hurricane activity can still increase later in the season.
“There is often a secondary peak that occurs during October. That’s the time when we start to shift away from the long track hurricanes and tropical storms that emerge directly from the west African coast…”
While hurricane activity has been minimal, the U.S. Drought Monitor reports worsening drought conditions across the region. Alabama, Georgia, and Florida are all experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought, with parts of Alabama under severe drought.
These dry conditions could have a growing impact on crop production, pasture health, and water availability if the pattern continues through fall.
Farmers and emergency managers are keeping a close eye on both the drought outlook and any potential late-season storms that could reverse the trend—or worsen conditions with sudden flooding.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet