DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT...FINAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
900 PM EDT THU SEP 4 2008
...EXCESSIVE RAINFALL FROM TROPICAL STORM DEALT A LETHAL BLOW TO THE
REGION'S LONG TERM DROUGHT...
SYNOPSIS...
TROPICAL STORM FAY...WHICH CAME ASHORE OVER SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ON
AUGUST 19...MOVED NORTHEAST ACROSS THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA
PENINSULA AND STALLED OFF THE NORTHEAST FLORIDA COAST. LATE IN THE
DAY OF AUGUST 22...FAY SLOWLY MOVED WESTWARD ACROSS THE SUWANNEE
RIVER VALLEY...AND THROUGH THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND SOUTHEAST
ALABAMA ON AUGUST 23 AND 24. FAY PRODUCED SUBSTANTIAL FLOODING AND
RAINFALL ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN GEORGIA AND NORTHERN FLORIDA. THE
FOLLOWING ARE SOME STORM RAINFALL TOTALS FROM 8 PM EDT AUGUST 21
THROUGH 8 PM EDT AUGUST 24:
THOMASVILLE GA 27.50
5 MI E TALLAHASSEE FL 22.00
WACISSA FL 17.79
5 SE TALLAHASSEE FL 17.67
HAVANA FL 16.67
PERRY FL 13.64
DOWLING PARK FL 12.62
TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL AIRPORT FL* 11.44
QUITMAN GA 10.78
BRISTOL FL 10.50
NEWTON GA 9.62
8 MI E MEIGS GA 9.33
CROSS CITY FL 8.83
VALDOSTA GA 8.29
*RAINFALL FOR AUGUST MEASURED 16.52 INCHES...9.49 INCHES ABOVE
NORMAL. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 15.73 INCHES SET IN 1977.
MUCH OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER VALLEY RECEIVED BETWEEN 10 AND 20 INCHES
OF RAIN FROM FAY. FAY'S REMNANTS CONTINUED TO PRODUCE SEVERAL RAIN
BANDS AS IT MOVED ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF ALABAMA AND GEORGIA
FROM AUGUST 25 THROUGH AUGUST 27. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS RANGED
FROM ONE TO THREE INCHES ACROSS THE AREA. NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA WHICH MISSED FAY'S RAINS
REMAINED ABNORMALLY DRY.
WITH FAY FINALLY DEPARTING TO THE NORTHEAST...HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS
POISED TO MAKE ITS PRESENCE FELT ALONG THE GULF COAST DURING THE
LABOR DAY WEEKEND. FORTUNATELY...GUSTAV CAME ASHORE ALONG THE
LOUISIANA COAST ON LABOR DAY...WITH ITS EASTERNMOST RAIN BANDS
AFFECTING SOUTHERN ALABAMA AND THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. HERE ARE SOME
STORM RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE PERIOD FROM AUGUST 30 TO SEPTEMBER 1:
MARIANNA FL 0.36
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS FL 0.31
CHIPLEY FL 0.65
PANAMA CITY FL 1.54
APALACHICOLA FL 0.30
SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...
SOCIETAL IMPACTS...
WATER SHORTAGE ADVISORIES FOR THE SUWANNEE RIVER AND NORTHWEST
FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS...DOTHAN ALABAMA AND MUCH OF
SOUTHERN GEORGIA WILL LIKELY BE RESCINDED IN THE COMING WEEKS AFTER
FINAL HYDROLOGIC ASSESSMENTS ARE MADE.
HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS...
THE LION'S SHARE OF FAY'S RAIN FELL ON ITS EASTERN SEMI CIRCLE AS
THE COUNTERCLOCKWISE CIRCULATION DREW THE ABUNDANTLY MOIST GULF
MOISTURE NORTHWARD INTO THE REGION. RAINFALL TOTALS ON THE ORDER OF
10 TO 25 INCHES ACROSS MUCH OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND EXTREME
SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA LED TO WIDESPREAD LOWLAND AND
RIVERINE FLOODING. MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING WAS OBSERVED ALONG THE
OCHLOCKONEE RIVERS NEAR THOMASVILLE GEORGIA...AND NEAR
CONCORD...HAVANA AND BLOXHAM FLORIDA. STATE ROAD 12 WAS UNDER 10 TO
14 FEET OF WATER NEAR CONCORD. RECORD FLOODING WAS OBSERVED ON THE
ST MARKS RIVER NEAR NEWPORT FLORIDA. NATURAL BRIDGE ROAD WAS
FLOODED. MINOR FLOODING OCCURRED ON THE AUCILLA RIVER AT LAMONT
FLORIDA WITH CONSIDERABLE LOWLAND FLOODING REPORTED. MINOR FLOODING
WAS ALSO OBSERVED ON THE WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER NEAR VALDOSTA GEORGIA
AND SOPCHOPPY RIVER NEAR SOPCHOPPY FLORIDA. LOW LYING ROADS NORTH OF
SOPCHOPPY WERE CLOSED BY FLOOD WATERS. FINALLY...MINOR FLOODING WAS
OBSERVED ON THE APALACHICOLA RIVER AT BLOUNTSTOWN FLORIDA.
GROUND WATER LEVELS ALSO RESPONDED FROM THE EXCESSIVE RAINFALL.
SEVERAL WELLS ACROSS NORTHERN FLORIDA AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA REPORTED
SHARP RISES...ON THE ORDER OF FIVE TO AS MUCH AS 30 FEET.
LIKEWISE...STREAMFLOWS SURGED TO ABOVE NORMAL (FROM 75TH TO GREATER
THAN 90TH PERCENTILE) LEVELS ACROSS SOUTHERN GEORGIA AND NORTHERN
FLORIDA. OVER SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...FLOWS RETURNED TO NORMAL (25TH TO
75TH PERCENTILE) LEVELS.
AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS...
SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...MOST OF THE RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH FAY
SIGNIFICANTLY RECHARGED THE TOP AND SUBSOILS...WITH ADEQUATE TO
SURPLUS MOISTURE REPORTED. PEANUTS AND SOYBEANS SHOWED SOME
IMPROVEMENT FROM THE BOUNTIFUL MOISTURE. PASTURE...HAYFIELD AND
LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS IMPROVED TO FAIR TO GOOD LEVELS. THE CORN
HARVEST SLOWED IN SOME AREAS DUE TO WET FIELDS. FARMERS IN A FEW
ISOLATED AREAS LOST 80 TO 85 PERCENT OF THEIR CORN CROP DUE TO THE
STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH BOY FAY AND GUSTAV.
SOUTHWEST/SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...
PASTURE AND HAYFIELD CONDITIONS IMPROVED TO FAIR TO GOOD LEVELS.
MUCH OF FAY'S RAINFALL WAS ABSORBED INTO THE GROUND...WITH ADEQUATE
TO SURPLUS SOIL MOISTURE REPORTED. UNHARVESTED FIELD CORN WAS LODGED
AND WILL SUFFER HARVEST LOSS. MANY COTTON FIELDS WERE DAMAGED DUE TO
STRONG WINDS AND BOLL ROT. SOME PECAN ORCHARDS EXPERIENCED
UP TO 50 PERCENT CROP LOSS ALONG WITH SIGNIFICANT LIMB BREAKAGE.
ABOUT 30 PERCENT OF THE TOBACCO CROP WAS LOST DUE TO FLOODED SOILS.
FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND...
SOIL MOISTURE LEVELS IMPROVED TO ADEQUATE TO SURPLUS IN THE WAKE OF
FAY AND GUSTAV'S RAINS. THE PEANUT CROP WAS RATED GOOD TO EXCELLENT.
MOST PASTURES AND HAY FIELDS HAD SUBSTANTIAL STANDING WATER...AND
FARMERS WERE CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF FOOT ROT. DAILY RAINS
AND FLOODING HALTED FIELD WORK FOR MANY GROWERS. LAFAYETTE COUNTY
REPORTED THAT CUCUMBERS AND BEANS MAY HAVE SUFFERED FROM EXCESSIVE
MOISTURE. JEFFERSON COUNTY LOST SOME OF ITS PECAN CROP AND MANY
FIELDS WERE FLOODED. AS FIELDS DRIED...FARMERS APPLIED FUNGICIDE TO
IMPROVE CROP CONDITIONS. THE LIVESTOCK CONDITION WAS FAIR TO EXCELLENT.
FIRE DANGER IMPACTS...
DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AND SATURATED FUELS THE PAST FEW
WEEKS...FIRE DANGER WAS IN THE LOW CATEGORY ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA
WITH KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDICES BELOW 200.
CLIMATE SUMMARY...
THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHOWS THE OBSERVED RAINFALL...30-YEAR NORMALS
...DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL...AND PERCENT OF NORMAL FROM JANUARY 1
THROUGH AUGUST 31 FOR SELECTED SITES ACROSS THE REGION. SEASONAL
STATISTICS ARE SHOWN FOR THE PERIOD JUNE 1 THROUGH AUGUST 31.
STATION OBSERVED 30-YEAR DEPARTURE PERCENT
RAINFALL NORMAL FROM NORMAL OF NORMAL
TALLAHASSEE FL
SINCE JANUARY 1 47.77 46.99 0.78 102
SINCE JUNE 1 26.56 21.99 4.57 121
APALACHICOLA FL
SINCE JANUARY 1 32.81 38.10 -5.29 86
SINCE JUNE 1 18.18 18.90 -0.72 96
5 N PANAMA CITY FL
SINCE JANUARY 1 44.66 46.53 -1.87 96
SINCE JUNE 1 19.43 22.27 -2.84 87
CHIPLEY FL
SINCE JANUARY 1 47.54 42.60 4.94 112
SINCE JUNE 1 19.96 17.54 2.42 114
CROSS CITY FL
SINCE JANUARY 1 39.29 43.84 -4.55 90
SINCE JUNE 1 27.82 24.93 2.89 112
GENEVA AL
SINCE JANUARY 1 39.51 42.57 -3.06 93
SINCE JUNE 1 17.03 15.66 1.37 109
CAMILLA GA
SINCE JANUARY 1 45.92 39.54 6.38 116
SINCE JUNE 1 22.38 15.18 7.20 147
ALBANY GA
SINCE JANUARY 1 32.25 39.59 -7.34 81
SINCE JUNE 1 17.96 15.58 2.38 115
PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...
THE 6-10 DAY OUTLOOK FROM THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER FOR THE
PERIOD SEPTEMBER 10 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14 PREDICTS NEAR NORMAL
TEMPERATURES AND ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THE 8-14 DAY OUTLOOK
FOR THE PERIOD SEPTEMBER 12 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 18 CALLS FOR SIMILAR
TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION.
THE MONTHLY OUTLOOK FOR SEPTEMBER CALLS FOR NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES
AND ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THE THREE-MONTH OUTLOOK FOR
SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER PREDICTS SIMILAR TEMPERATURES AND
PRECIPITATION.
HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...
WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL FROM TROPICAL STORM FAY PRODUCED MODERATE
TO MAJOR FLOODING ON SEVERAL AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS IN SOUTHERN
GEORGIA AND NORTHERN FLORIDA. STREAMFLOW AND GROUND WATER LEVELS
HAVE SINCE RECEDED...WITH A FEW BASINS IN THE FLORIDA BIG BEND
SEVERAL FEET ABOVE THEIR RESPECTIVE FLOOD STAGES.
THE OUTLOOK CALLS FOR A CONTINUED CHANCE FOR ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL
DUE TO THE ACTIVE TROPICAL SEASON IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN...WHICH
PEAKS DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
...UPDATE STATEMENT...
THIS WILL BE THE FINAL DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE FOR THIS EVENT.
RELATED WEB SITES...
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS MAY BE FOUND AT
THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES:
OUR LOCAL WEB PAGE...
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tae/
NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER...
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/
SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTER...
http://www.sercc.com
U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR...
http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html
NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM...
http://www.drought.gov/
USGS WEB PAGE...
http://water.usgs.gov/
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER /CPC/...
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
CREDITS...
INFORMATION FOR THIS REPORT WAS PROVIDED COURTESY OF THE WEEKLY
DROUGHT MONITOR REPORT...UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE...WEEKLY WEATHER AND CROP BULLETIN...DEPARTMENTS OF
FORESTRY FOR ALABAMA...FLORIDA AND GEORGIA...THE NATIONAL DROUGHT
MITIGATION CENTER...CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER...NORTHWEST FLORIDA
WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT...SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT
DISTRICT...THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGIC SURVEY...AND THE NATIONAL
RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE.
JAMSKI