Atlanta Suffered Severe Drought, Prompting Government To Declare Natural Disaster

The United States Department of Agriculture has designated "primary natural disaster areas" for more than 30 Georgia counties, including 10 in metro Atlanta.

The designation comes after the state experienced a severe drought for weeks during the crop season.

Exceptional and Extreme Droughts

Droughts have crippled the Peach State in recent weeks, disrupting the growing season. The state produces the most peanuts, pecans, blueberries, and other crops in the country.

According to the US Drought Monitor, the designated counties experienced droughts that ranged from "exceptional" to "extreme".

"Our agency stands committed to providing support to our agricultural producers who are recovering from natural disasters," said Arthur Tripp, the FSA's state executive director for Georgia.

Low rainfall in November caused droughts ranging from "moderate" to "exceptional" in north Georgia, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA reported that the droughts enhanced the risk of wildfires in Georgia.

The Georgia Forestry Commission reported that firefighters in Walker County, which was issued an "exceptional" drought warning in November, spent days battling a 1,400-acre fire.

During the same time period, Dade County wildfires consumed nearly 900 acres, while a Gilmer County blaze consumed 50 acres.

Farmers in affected counties can apply for emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to recover.

"Drought conditions can be devastating for many agricultural operations. Through these designations, Georgia's farmers and ranchers will have access to the emergency credit that is critical to their recovery from severe drought conditions," the agency said.

The droughts subsequently affected approximately 5.4 million Georgians, particularly farmers, who reported significant crop losses and delayed harvests due to the dry land.

The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation said there were more than 39,000 farms in Georgia in 2022, covering almost 10 million acres of farmland.

Drought In Africa

Last month, Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema declared the drought a national disaster, claiming that the absence of rain has devastated the agricultural sector, affecting more than one million families.

Since the time of the announcement, the southern African country has gone without rain for five weeks, when farmers need it the most.

This exacerbated the consequences of the severe drought and flooding that ravaged the country last year.

Climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon have exacerbated the situation, which now affects national food security as well as water and energy supplies, according to Hichilema.

Zambia is heavily reliant on hydroelectric power.

"The destruction caused by the prolonged drought spell is immense," he added.

Malawi also declared a state of disaster due to drought in 23 of its 28 districts, and the president says it urgently requires more than $200 million in humanitarian help.

Malawi is the latest country in the area to experience food shortages due to a prolonged dry period caused by El Niño.

El Niño is a natural meteorological phenomenon that causes warming of the sea surface in portions of the Pacific Ocean. It has an impact on world weather, resulting in below-average rainfall in southern Africa.

Climate warming may intensify and exacerbate El Niños, according to some scientists.

The 2015-2016 El Niño caused a catastrophic drought in southern Africa, the worst in 35 years, according to the UN. Office of Humanitarian Affairs.