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State leaders to ‘pray for rain’ as drought grips Georgia

September 15, 2016 - Gordon County - Milton Stewart, 79, and his foreman, Rigo Orozco, discuss a spraying strategy for this field which they found to be infested with army worms. He has several hay fields in and around Gordon county that have been decimated by drought and army worms. Northwest Georgia is the hardest hit corner of drought-plagued Georgia. Some counties have lost 85% of hay and cotton crops to drought and army worms. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres

Credit: Bob Andres

September 15, 2016 - Gordon County - Milton Stewart, 79, and his foreman, Rigo Orozco, discuss a spraying strategy for this field which they found to be infested with army worms. He has several hay fields in and around Gordon county that have been decimated by drought and army worms. Northwest Georgia is the hardest hit corner of drought-plagued Georgia. Some counties have lost 85% of hay and cotton crops to drought and army worms. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM
By Aaron Gould Sheinin
Oct 27, 2016

Georgia’s leaders have a long history of asking for divine help to break droughts.

Gov. Joe Frank Harris did it in 1986. Gov. Sonny Perdue did, too, in 2007.

Now, U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, and Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black want God’s help to end the latest drought to parch Georgia’s fields and streams.

Collins and Black will travel to Lavonia, in northeast Georgia, on Monday to pray for rain. The event begins at 9 a.m. at 1269 East Main St.

ExploreThe state can use all the help it can get.

Fifty counties across North Georgia are in at least an "extreme" drought. Some in northwest Georgia are in "exceptional" drought, the worst kind, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. More than 7.9 million Georgians live in drought-affected areas.

More coverage:

ExploreMost severe drought restrictions imposed in this Georgia county
ExploreMore Georgia areas now in most severe drought category
ExploreGeorgia ratchets up drought alert

About the Author

Aaron Gould Sheinin
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