The Evolution of Drought Planning in Georgia Since 2000: A Cautionary Tale

Since 1998, the State of Georgia has experienced four extreme droughts that have significantly affected agriculture, water supplies, and the economy of the regions affected by these droughts. After each drought ended, changes were made to the state’s plans for managing the next drought. The impact of each alteration in management plan affected the response to the next drought, creating new issues for drought managers and leading to changes that included a move for the Office of the State Climatologist. Current official state drought plans are limited to addressing water supply issues and have led to confusion about who declares drought for agricultural purposes.