MACON, Ga. — According to the National Weather Service, August 2024 marked the lowest rainfall since record-keeping began in 1893. The lack of rain has hit locals hard.
Terry Johnson, the owner of Johnson’s Garden Center and Florist, reports that sales of grass and shrubs have taken a sharp downturn. Many customers have reached out to him for help with dying plants. This extreme weather has caused problems for gardeners and homeowners alike, as they struggle to keep their plants alive under relentless heat and drought.
“We've been out to look at a lot of yards. People are telling me their grass is dying, and some sprinkler systems aren’t working properly,” Johnson said. “We've even had to haul water on trucks during past droughts just to keep plants alive.”
The dry conditions aren’t only affecting home gardens—farmers are also facing challenges. Without irrigation, crops are wilting in the heat, with no significant rainfall in sight. Johnson noted how difficult it has been to establish new plantings in such harsh conditions.
“It makes it very hard to plant young grass, trees, or anything when it’s 100 degrees, and we haven’t had any meaningful rainfall. A flash flood doesn’t help when the ground is so hard that the water doesn’t even soak in,” Johnson added.
Homeowner Steve Jump and his wife have been doing everything they can to save their garden but have still lost some plants to the drought. Jump and his wife moved into their new home just down the road from the shop in April.
"We've only had a few good rainfalls, and they were really hard rains," Jump said. "But the rest of the time, it's been pretty dry. Bless her heart. She tries her best."
With fall and winter approaching, Macon residents are hoping for cooler weather and more rainfall to help break the dry spell. In the meantime, locals like Jump are continuing to water their plants and lawns, trying to keep their greenery alive through the drought.
The forecast indicates some potential relief in the form of cooler temperatures in the coming days, but gardeners across the city are still counting on more rain to ease the drought. The next significant chance of rain for the area is on Friday.