The Drought in Atlanta

Atlanta made the national headlines last summer because of our lack of rain, and our lack of gasoline. It was a tough time to live in Atlanta. Gas lines were long, and tempers flared. The Atlanta drought reached its peak, and our primary water source, Lake Lanier remained at historic lows, thus endangering the water supply for 4.4 million residents of the Atlanta area. Severe watering restrictions were put into place, and citizens answered back by reducing our water consumption by 10-20%.

The following scale measures droughts:

D0 - Abnormally dry

D1 - Moderately dry

D2 - Severe drought

D3 - Extreme drought

D4 - Exceptional drought

Back in the summer, we reached Level 4, which happens in only 100 years or so, thus indeed making it historic. We are now well into February of a new year, and the drought situation seems better, thanks to several rainy days and storms rolling in from Alabama. Different counties in Georgia currently stand at different levels, but only 3% remain at a Level 4. Most of metro Atlanta stands at a D2-D3 level. However, if you log onto www.droughtscore.com, Atlanta's drought score is a 120.8, thus keeping it at a Level 4 extreme drought.

Wherever we actually fall on the scale, the fact is that we are still in the midst of a serious drought. Lake Lanier remains at historic low levels, and we are already behind our average annual rainfall of 50-55 inches. Last year, we received only 31.85" of rain; it wouldn't take too many consecutive dry spells to match that number. The situation last year was dire, and we need to keep that fact in mind. I advise everyone to continue to adhere to the current restrictions, and to seek out new and easy ways to conserve water at home. Our long-term goal should be sustainable living in Atlanta for many years to come. We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to our children.