TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The Big Bend and South Georgia are still seeing ongoing impacts from the lack of rain during the past two months, from crops not being harvested to the heightened potential for wildfires.<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service said that during the past two months, the area has been at least six inches below normal amounts of rainfall, and with us heading into a typically dry time of year, officials say the conditions have only worsened.<\/p>\n
Kelly Godsey, a hydrologist with the NWS, said they\u2019ve gotten reports from Decatur and Grady Counties about holding ponds going dry. <\/p>\n
On top of that, he said some river levels have been low, but it\u2019s not just about the lack of rain. The temperatures and humidity play a part in the dry conditions, and while he said the rain from the weekend was good, it just wasn\u2019t enough. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo turn conditions around from where they are right now, we would need several inches of rain to really improve this drought, because we\u2019ve seen these dry conditions now last for two to two and a half months when we had very warm temperatures coming out of summer, and so that\u2019s going to take some time to alleviate and a good bit of rain to do so,\u201d Godsey said.<\/p>\n
Godsey also said agriculture is struggling because the ground is so hard; peanuts, for example, can\u2019t be harvested.<\/p>\n
More news out of the Big Bend:<\/p>\n
This drought could also be dangerous for people with trees on their property.<\/p>\n
Fielder Tree Service said they are getting a lot of calls for trees that have fallen, and the most common call is for dying pine trees.<\/p>\n
They said the lack of rain, combined with weather conditions, has weakened the trees\u2019 root systems, and now they are drying out and falling.<\/p>\n
To prevent this, Mike Cross with Fielder Tree Service said people need to be proactive and take a look at the trees in their yard. He said it doesn\u2019t have to be a rainy or windy day for limbs to fall off or trees to topple. <\/p>\n
Cross said many trees already have spots of decay, with beetles invading them and making it hard for them to stand on their own.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo a good way to check your own trees is to look up every now and then. At least once a week, right now, you should be scanning your treetops and looking for differences in color,\u201d Cross said. \u201cStressed or dehydrated trees, when they die, they become obviously risky. They can fall and hurt property and people. Also, they become more brittle, so limbs will fall more commonly.\u201d <\/p>\n
Godsey also cautioned that, with these dry conditions, you have to be extremely careful about burning and even grilling, because the smallest spark can set off a fire.<\/p>\n
To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n