NASHVILLE, TN — Middle Tennessee is still in a serious drought, but the latest map shows a little progress after recent rain. About 30% of Tennessee remains in extreme drought, down from nearly half the state at the end of April.
Nashville has also seen some improvement, moving from extreme drought to severe drought as of last Thursday. The southwest part of the viewing area picked up enough rain to ease conditions slightly, though the relief has been limited.
Where Conditions Stand
Several communities are still stuck in extreme drought, including Paris, Clarksville, Portland, and Crossville. The dry stretch has left much of Middle Tennessee well below normal rainfall for the past month.
Across the region, most areas have received only about 30% to 60% of usual rain over the last 30 days. That kind of shortfall keeps soil and moisture conditions under pressure even when some areas get scattered showers.
Rainfall Shortfalls
The drought improvement has been modest, not widespread. Officials said recent rainfall helped in a few spots, but many parts of the state still have a long way to go before conditions return to normal…