Southeast Drought Eases After April 2026 Peak, With Georgia Seeing First Fire-Free Day Since December

More than 60% of land in the lower 48 states experienced moderate drought or worse in April 2026, according to Time reported data. 81% of the region at its peak that month. Severe to exceptional drought covered more than 80% of the Southeast in April 2026.

U.S. Drought Monitor began collecting data in 2000. Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina experienced record dry conditions between September 2025 and March 2026.

Those records date back to 1895. Dry conditions expanded to nearly the largest extent of drought since November 2022. Precipitation overall was less than 70% of average. Heavy rainfall in the South last week eased conditions in the Deep South and Texas.

The improvement came after months of unrelenting dryness that had already taken a toll on agriculture. This year’s wheat acreage will be the lowest since 1919 according to the USDA forecast. The poor conditions and low yields arrive as farmers face additional pressure from tariffs and rising fertilizer costs tied to the war in Iran.

Billy Bain, an 81-year-old farmer in Virginia in his 58th year planting crops, described the situation in stark terms. Bain told a local CBS News affiliate that this year is the worst drought he has ever seen. "We had to stop planting because it's so dry," Bain said.

He added that the costs of his farm have gone up in the wake of the fuel crisis sparked by the Iran war. ” Those changing conditions could raise food prices for consumers, she added. The dry weather has also fueled wildfires, including in wetland environments such as the South Florida Everglades.

Florida has one of the worst fire seasons in maybe the last 30 or 40 years according to Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. " His assessment reflected conditions across the broader Southeast. In Georgia, Gov.

Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in 91 counties in late April 2026. The declaration allowed the state National Guard to respond to wildfire-affected areas. The Georgia Forestry Commission responded to zero new wildfires in the state on May 7 2026.

That was the first day with no new fires in Georgia since December 2025.