Despite recent rainfall earlier this week, drought conditions have worsened across Northwest Tallahassee, the Big Bend, and South Georgia as water levels remain below normal.WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW: Drought conditions continue t o worsen despite recent rainfallEvery county across the Big Bend and South Georgia has been in an extreme drought for weeks. As of Thursday morning, parts of Grady, Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes, Echols, Madison, Hamilton, Suwannee, and Lafayette Counties are under an exceptional drought, the worst level possible."Exceptional drought developed along the Florida-Georgia state line, where soil moisture and precipitation deficits worsened, and several streamflow gauges moved into record-low territory for mid-March," the United States Drought Monitor said.For Leon County, the National Integrated Drought Information System said rainfall totals are already 3.72 inches below normal for 2026. This makes it the 20th driest year to date in the past 132 years.Back in February, the Northwest Florida Water Management District issued a water shortage warning asking residents to conserve water. As of their latest Facebook post, they will not lift the order.Although sporadic days of rain are helpful, they will not be enough to improve current drought conditions. They will only be enough to prevent the worsening spread.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website. Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytimeLike us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram and X. ...read more read less