By By Karen Graham Nov 27, 2016 in Environment Water isn't a commodity that most southerners usually worry about. But lately, the drought has become a hot topic as more and more communities begin dealing with declining water resources. Even worse, these conditions may become the new norm. The eight-month-long drought that has hit the southeastern U.S. is deepening, reports the NASA satellite imagery of the wildfires in the Southeastern U.S. NASA There are already water restrictions in some areas of the South, and more severe restrictions are looming if long-range weather forecasts of below-normal rainfall hold true through the rest of the year. Many southerners are now beginning to realize they will have to save what's left of their water supplies. U.S. Forest Service ecologist James Vose told Columbia University bioclimatologist Park Williams says the epicenter of the drought, an area between northern Georgia, eastern Tennessee and the western Carolinas, has drought conditions as bad as those seen in the western U.S. Over 47 million people live in this drought area that extends from Oklahoma to Virginia, according to the Associated Press. “Those regions are definitely experiencing a one in a 50-year event,” Williams said. "This aridness arrived just as autumn trees across the region shed their colorful leaves — a highly flammable fuel for wildfires." NOAA In Griffin, Georgia last week, one resident got to face the drought's impact up close and personal. Chris Benson says when his son went to take his nightly bath, "The water was kind of a light brown color and after we ran it for a while, it actually looked like a light-colored tea. A little disturbing." In Tennessee, 300 of the state's 480 water systems are suffering moderate to exceptional drought conditions, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said. Denise Gutzmer at the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska said communities across the south can't afford to waste what water is left in their depleted watersheds. "For some of these small communities, they are in trouble and they will need to be very careful about their water use to conserve," Gutzmer said. She likened it to having a savings account. When the money gets low, we become more conscientious in how we spend the remaining funds. What once was a lake is now a mud puddle. NIDIS The bottom line in the long range forecast for the southern tier of the U.S. is not what we want to hear. NOAA predicts above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation during the winter, "favoring drought persistence or intensification." We won't be getting an update on drought conditions until November 15, according to the Vose says the dry spells are becoming longer, and with them will come more frequent water shortages and wildfires, and this may be a new norm for southerners. “Consecutive dry periods are predicted to occur as a result of anthropogenic [man-made] climate change,” Vose said. “These trends make larger area burns and more fires perhaps more likely in the future.” Over 100,000 acres of forests have burned across seven states in the southeastern U.S. since October, prompting mass evacuations and leaving behind puzzled residents who are now wondering when the rains will come.The eight-month-long drought that has hit the southeastern U.S. is deepening, reports the Associated Press , resulting in beaver dams being demolished, water fountains in many town squares being turned off and one community left with tea-stained drinking water.There are already water restrictions in some areas of the South, and more severe restrictions are looming if long-range weather forecasts of below-normal rainfall hold true through the rest of the year. Many southerners are now beginning to realize they will have to save what's left of their water supplies.U.S. Forest Service ecologist James Vose told PBS.org that this time of year is typically wetter than it is right now. This year the situation has changed, drastically, with the southeast experiencing a "once in a generation" drought.Columbia University bioclimatologist Park Williams says the epicenter of the drought, an area between northern Georgia, eastern Tennessee and the western Carolinas, has drought conditions as bad as those seen in the western U.S. Over 47 million people live in this drought area that extends from Oklahoma to Virginia, according to the Associated Press.“Those regions are definitely experiencing a one in a 50-year event,” Williams said. "This aridness arrived just as autumn trees across the region shed their colorful leaves — a highly flammable fuel for wildfires."In Griffin, Georgia last week, one resident got to face the drought's impact up close and personal. Chris Benson says when his son went to take his nightly bath, "The water was kind of a light brown color and after we ran it for a while, it actually looked like a light-colored tea. A little disturbing." The AP says the problem with the tea-colored water comes from the town's reservoir, which is eight feet below normal. This has left a "high level of manganese" in the water. City officials told residents the water was "not unsafe" on Nov. 16 in its latest "water discoloration update."In Tennessee, 300 of the state's 480 water systems are suffering moderate to exceptional drought conditions, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said. Denise Gutzmer at the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska said communities across the south can't afford to waste what water is left in their depleted watersheds."For some of these small communities, they are in trouble and they will need to be very careful about their water use to conserve," Gutzmer said. She likened it to having a savings account. When the money gets low, we become more conscientious in how we spend the remaining funds.The bottom line in the long range forecast for the southern tier of the U.S. is not what we want to hear. NOAA predicts above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation during the winter, "favoring drought persistence or intensification." We won't be getting an update on drought conditions until November 15, according to the NOAA website Vose says the dry spells are becoming longer, and with them will come more frequent water shortages and wildfires, and this may be a new norm for southerners.“Consecutive dry periods are predicted to occur as a result of anthropogenic [man-made] climate change,” Vose said. “These trends make larger area burns and more fires perhaps more likely in the future.” More about southeastern US, water worries, the new norm, Brown water, drought monitor More news from southeastern US water worries the new norm Brown water drought monitor