"Deep South Drought Kills Crops, Threatens Herds, Dries Lakes"

"ATLANTA — Six months into a deepening drought, the weather is killing crops, threatening cattle and sinking lakes to their lowest levels in years across much of the South.

The very worst conditions — what forecasters call 'exceptional drought' — are in the mountains of northeast Alabama and northwest Georgia, a region known for its thick green forests, waterfalls and red clay soil. ...

The drought has spread from these mountains onto the Piedmont plateau, down to the plains and across 13 southern states, from Oklahoma and Texas to Florida and Virginia, putting about 33 million people in drought conditions, according to Thursday's U.S. Drought Monitor."

Jeff Martin and Janet McConnaughey report for the Associated Press October 28, 2016.