Farms in the Southeast see limited improvement in drought conditions
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
by Jeff Ishee
Data provided by US Drought Monitor
June 5, 2026 -
The latest update from the US Drought Monitor indicates farms in the Southeastern United States have seen modest improvement in drought conditions as we go into the month of June. Overall, 88% of the region is in some form of drought. One week ago, 96% of the Southeast was in drought.
State-by-state, here are the current levels of drought:
Alabama - 41% moderate
Florida - 17% moderate; 28% severe; 43% extreme; 10% exceptional
Georgia - 38% moderate; 34% severe; 24% extreme
South Carolina - 32% moderate; 46% severe; 21% extreme
North Carolina - 13% moderate; 56% severe; 31% extreme
Virginia - 16% moderate; 59% severe; 25% extreme
Soil moisture is critical at this time of year, when young field crops are building root systems and increasing in foliage. Late May rains in much of the region brought temporary relief to many farms, but early June has been described as "somewhat dry" in some areas.
The 90-day forecast issued by the NWS Climate Prediction Center in late May calls for conditions to slowly improve between now and the end of August, but drought conditions may persist in Virginia, Maryland, and portions of West Virginia, North Carolina, and East Tennessee.
Streamflow and river levels in much of the Southeast have improved in recent weeks, but many are still at below normal levels for this time of year. According to the US Geological Survey, river levels are the lowest in eastern North Carolina and southern Virginia.
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