(WXIA) -- As of last week, more than 70 percent of Georgia is still under a drought, and 55-percent is currently under a severe drought. In the last five months rainfall totals have been below normal, and while we did get some decent rainfall amounts last week, it wasn't enough to make an impact on our drought.
Above is a map of those rainfall totals from last week. Newton County picked up over three inches of rain from last Tuesday to this Tuesday. In Henry County they saw one-point-five inches of rain in that same time. Decent amounts also in Forsyth county with just a little over an inch, but in Cobb County, they saw only a half an inch total.
The biggest impact this drought has had has been in our lakes. Finally Lake Oconee is at a surplus with a third of a foot above full pool, but Allatoona Lake is still over two feet below full pool. Lake Lanier, however, is suffering the most with 7.5 feet below full pool. That's over six feet lower than July of 2010, and only eight feet off from the all time record July low from 2008.
The long-term forecast shows that while the drought will persist, some minor improvement will be made. And this will be largely due to the short-term forecast of isolated rain chances for the next week.