#DroughtConditions | AM 1180 Radio

April 24, 2026

Hazy Skies, Fire Danger Continue Across Chattooga County And Northwest Georgia As Rain Chances Increase

Local News, Local News Items #AirQuality, #BeneficialRain, #BurnRestrictions, #chattoogacounty, #CloudlandGA, #ColdFront, #DadeCountyGA, #DroughtConditions, #DryConditions, #FireDanger, #floydcountyga, #georgiaweather, #GordonCountyGA, #HazySkies, #LowHumidity, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #NorthGeorgiaWeather, #northwestgeorgia, #OutdoorBurning, #RainChances, #SevereWeatherOutlook, #summervillega, #Thunderstorms, #trionga, #WalkerCountyGA, #WeekendWeather, #WhitfieldCountyGA, #WildfireSmoke, #wzqznews 0

Chattooga County and much of Northwest Georgia will continue to deal with hazy skies today as wildfire smoke drifts north from South Georgia and North Florida. The smoke may create milky-looking skies and could lead to reduced air quality in some areas, especially where winds remain lighter.

April 23, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Burn Ban Issued For Chattooga County Amid Extreme Drought Conditions

Local News, Local News Items #BurnBan, #chattoogacounty, #DroughtConditions, #EmergencyOrder, #FireDanger, #georgiaweather, #LocalNews, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicSafety, #summervillega, #WildfireRisk, #wzqznews 0

A countywide burn ban is now in effect for Chattooga County as officials respond to worsening drought conditions and an increased risk of wildfires across the region.

According to an executive order signed by Sole Commissioner Andy Allen, the burn ban took effect at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, 2026, and applies to all outdoor burning.

The order comes as drought conditions across Georgia have intensified, with officials reporting extremely dry weather, low humidity, and gusty winds contributing to dangerous fire conditions. State officials have already responded to more than 90 wildfires, and nearly all of Chattooga County is now experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions.

The ban prohibits burning of yard debris, natural vegetation, campfires, and any combustible materials outdoors.

Officials say the action is necessary to protect both life and property as wildfire risks remain high.

The temporary burn ban will remain in place through May 1, 2026, when the state’s annual outdoor burning restrictions are set to begin.

Residents are urged to comply with the ban and avoid any outdoor burning until conditions improve.

April 23, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Arrest Report – Thursday – April 23, 2026

Local News, Local News Items #AgNews, #AgricultureNews, #chattoogacounty, #DisasterAssistance, #DroughtConditions, #DroughtRelief, #EconomicRelief, #EmergencyLoans, #FarmingCommunity, #FarmRelief, #FarmServiceAgency, #GeorgiaAgriculture, #GeorgiaFarmers, #LocalFarming, #northwestgeorgia, #RuralGeorgia, #USDADisaster, #WeatherImpact, #wzqznews 0

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Thursday, April 23, 2026:

April 23, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

USDA Declares Drought Disaster, Includes Chattooga County In Assistance Area

Farmers in Chattooga County and across Northwest Georgia may soon see relief after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated 126 Georgia counties as natural disaster areas due to ongoing drought conditions.

April 21, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Dry Weather Raises Fire Concerns Across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #ColdFront, #DroughtConditions, #DryConditions, #DryWeather, #FireDanger, #FireWeather, #georgiaweather, #LocalForecast, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #NWGAWeather, #OutdoorBurning, #PublicSafety, #RainChances, #SpringWeather, #summervillega, #SunnySkies, #ThunderstormChances, #trionga, #WarmTemperatures, #WeatherAlert, #WeekendRain, #WildfireRisk, #wzqznews 0

Residents across Chattooga County and the wider Northwest Georgia region can expect several more days of warm, dry weather, increasing the risk for outdoor fires through the end of the workweek.

April 21, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Drought Conditions Worsen Across Georgia, Including Northwest Region

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #DroughtConditions, #DryWeather, #FireDanger, #GeorgiaDrought, #georgiaweather, #LocalWeather, #northwestgeorgia, #NWSAtlanta, #WaterShortage, #WeatherAlert, #wzqznews 0

Drought conditions continue to intensify across Georgia, with new data showing much of the state now experiencing severe to extreme drought levels.

According to the National Weather Service in Atlanta, drought conditions have steadily worsened since last fall. Maps comparing conditions from September 2025 to now show a dramatic expansion of dry conditions, with nearly the entire state now impacted.

As of mid-April, about 90 percent of Georgia is classified in severe to exceptional drought, marking the largest coverage of drought in nearly 20 years.

Rainfall totals have been well below normal in recent months. In some areas, including parts of North Georgia, rainfall has dropped to just a fraction of typical levels, contributing to worsening soil moisture and increasing stress on crops, water supplies, and vegetation.

Locally, these dry conditions are already contributing to elevated fire danger across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia, with officials urging residents to use caution with outdoor burning.

Forecasters say that without meaningful rainfall in the coming weeks, drought conditions are expected to persist and could continue into the summer months.

April 18, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Near-Record Heat, Fire Danger, and Limited Rain Expected Across Chattooga County

Local News, Local News Items #BreakingNews, #chattoogacounty, #ColdFront, #DroughtConditions, #DryConditions, #FireDanger, #georgiaweather, #LocalWeather, #northwestgeorgia, #RainChances, #RecordHeat, #RedFlagWarning, #WeatherAlert, #WildfireRisk, #wzqznews 0

Residents across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia should prepare for another round of unseasonably hot, dry, and potentially dangerous conditions today, with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s and low 90s—levels that could tie or even break existing records.

April 18, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Ongoing Drought Persists Across Northwest Georgia Despite Rain Chances

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #ColdFront, #Drought, #DroughtConditions, #DryWeather, #FireDanger, #georgiaweather, #LocalWeather, #NorthGeorgiaWeather, #northwestgeorgia, #OutdoorSafety, #RainChance, #SpringWeather, #WaterConservation, #WeatherUpdate, #WildfireRisk, #wzqznews 0

Drought conditions continue to grip Chattooga County and much of Northwest Georgia, with little relief in sight even as rain moves into the forecast.

April 17, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Dangerous Fire Conditions As Hot Dry Weather Continues

Local News, Local News Items #AprilHeat, #BurnBan, #CatoosaCountyGA, #chattoogacounty, #ColdFront, #DadeCountyGA, #DroughtConditions, #DroughtWatch, #DryConditions, #ExtremeHeat, #FireDangerStatement, #FireWeather, #floydcountyga, #georgiaweather, #HeatWave, #LocalWeather, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #NorthGeorgia, #NorthGeorgiaWeather, #northwestgeorgia, #OutdoorBurning, #RainChance, #RecordHeat, #RomeGA, #StormChance, #summervillega, #trionga, #WalkerCountyGA, #WeatherAlert, #WeekendWeather, #WildfireRisk, #wzqznews 0

Chattooga County and the rest of Northwest Georgia are once again under heightened fire weather concerns as dangerously dry conditions and unusually hot temperatures continue through Saturday.

April 15, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Fire Danger Statement In Effect Across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia

Local News, Local News Items #AboveNormalTemperatures, #BurningBanSafety, #chattoogacounty, #ColdFront, #DroughtConditions, #DryConditions, #FireDanger, #FireDangerStatement, #FireWeather, #georgiaweather, #HotWeather, #LocalNews, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #NoOutdoorBurning, #NorthGeorgia, #northwestgeorgia, #RecordHeat, #ScatteredShowers, #summervillega, #ThunderstormChance, #trionga, #WeatherAlert, #WeekendForecast, #WildfireRisk, #wzqznews 0

A Fire Danger Statement is in effect this afternoon across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia as very dry, warm conditions continue to raise wildfire concerns across the region.