Drought has been plaguing the southeastern United States and a new report indicates no relief is in sight.

Extending from the states of South Carolina west to Mississippi and north to West Virgina, a prolonged severe drought has parched this part of the USA. According to the most recent report by the US Regional Drought Monitor, 64% of the southeastern US is suffering some sort of drought.

The worst-affected regions are North and South Carolina and Georgia. In South Carolina, Lake Hartwell reached its lowest recorded levels ever Tuesday. The lake is over 17 feet below its normal level of 60 feet, forcing authorities to close boat ramps and divert water from nearby rivers to help alleviate the shrinking lake.

Although the drought remains critical in most of the region, it has subsided significantly since the beginning of the calendar year, when over 90% of the southeast was experiencing some form of drought. In early January, more than 20% of the southeast was considered to be in an extreme drought, but that number now only hovers around the 1% mark.

However, forecasters are calling for some much-needed rain this weekend as a low pressure center is expected to bring rain to much of the southeast on Friday and Saturday.

Author: Chris Bianchi, Climate monitor