Much of the Southeast is currently dealing with drought conditions and USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey shares further details on how drought is impacting the rest of the country.
Rippey said, “Drought coverage approaching 55% in early March. The last two weeks represent the first time since November 2024, more than a year ago, that we have seen U.S. drought coverage greater than 50%, and this week’s number, 54.9%, and that is the greatest U.S. drought coverage, looking at the lower 48 states, since all the way back in December of 2022, more than three years ago, the drought coverage at that time on December 6, 2022, was 55.5%. Among our 50 states in the United States, exactly half of them have some degree of extreme or exceptional drought coverage.”
“On March 3rd, and some of the most significant drought lies across the southern United States, Florida in particular has been impacted by a cool season drought that has left D3 to D4 coverage in Florida at 71% by early March, and then not too far behind Georgia with 37% D3 to D4 coverage. We have seen significant rain already in recent days across parts of the lower Midwest and even extending into the Great Plains and Mid-South. More to come, and so hopefully we will knock that number down a little bit next week and in weeks to come,” said Rippey.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.