While showers may bring brief relief in the coming days, state officials say it will not be enough to erase the drought.
shows nearly the entire state under conditions ranging from abnormally dry to extreme drought, and the problem grows worse by the day. Birmingham’s primary water source has now dropped to its lowest level in four years.
Experts stress there is no immediate cause for panic, but they warn that drought conditions are entering a danger zone. The most pressing concern right now is fire. Ethan Barrett, a fire analyst with the Alabama Forestry Commission, said October is historically the state’s driest month. Combined with worsening drought, that creates the perfect setup for wildfires. “Where we’re at right now, we are going into the driest month of the year for us. Historically, October is our driest month. Now you’re adding this drought into it. We are urging people to use caution when burning. Of course if you can put it off right now that would be best,” Barrett said. The latest drought map released Thursday shows worsening conditions, with extreme drought now gripping Greene, Hale, and Marengo counties. Birmingham’s water supply is also being tested as levels at Lake Purdy, the city’s main reservoir, continue to fall.John Matson, spokesman for Central Alabama Water, said supply is still stable despite the drop. “Right now, we have adequate water supply to meet the needs of all of our customers across our five county service area,” Matson said., but caution that it will not be enough to reverse the drought. Barrett noted the state would need more than seven inches of rainfall to significantly reduce current conditions. “At this point, we are well above our safe yield line. We are, as you mentioned earlier, around 65 or so–67% capacity at Lake Purdy. Inland Lake has plenty of capacity and of course the two river intakes we have in our system are also doing well as far as water supply capacity right now,” Matson explained. Even with supply secure, the combination of brittle brush, dry grass and soaring temperatures makes fire the more immediate danger. Barrett said even small embers could smolder for days, creating the risk of large wildfires. “Right now as dry as it is, embers that are coming off of your fire can start a fire and will burn for days until it finally burns out or continues to smolder,” he said. The Alabama Forestry Commission is urging residents to avoid outdoor burning if possible. Those who must burn more than a quarter acre are required to obtain a permit. Matson also reminded residents that water conservation is always critical, whether the state is seeing heavy rainfall or facing drought. “One thing we do at Central Alabama Water is we encourage our customers to use water wisely all year round. It’s important to conserve water if we’re having rain every other day for three or four weeks. It’s important to conserve water if we haven’t had any rain for three or four weeks so we encourage our customers all year round to use water wisely and preserve this natural resource,” Matson said. While showers may bring brief relief in the coming days, state officials say it will not be enough to erase the drought. Alabama remains under a statewide fire danger advisory, and experts are urging residents to use extra caution with outdoor flames until significant rainfall returns.Student brings gun on school field trip, shoots self in front of classmatesBaldwin County man accused of chasing woman naked in broad daylightPrichard man gives up right to preliminary hearing on rape and kidnapping charges
Wbrc News Fox6 Fox6 News Fox 6 Fox 6 News Wbrc Fox6 News Wbrc Fox 6 News Wbrc 6News Wbrc 6 News Myfoxal Alabama Al Wbrc First Alert Weather Alabama Drought Drought Hale County Greene County Marengo County Lake Purdy Inland Lake Alabama Forestry Commission Central Alabama Water Drought Monitor James Giles James Giles James Giles Wbrc Wbrc James Giles James Giles Reporter Reporter James Giles
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