Northern Gulf Coast and South Florida Lead Southeast Rainfall Totals Friday and Saturday With Some Areas Topping 2.68 Inches While Drought Areas See Little Relief

SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES — Accumulated precipitation data from May 2 to May 3, 2026 shows a highly uneven rainfall distribution across the Southeast, with northern Gulf Coast areas and South Florida collecting the highest totals while drought-stricken portions of the region received far less than needed.

Northern Gulf Coast Recorded the Heaviest Totals

CoCoRaHS observed precipitation data shows the most significant rainfall concentrated along the northern Gulf Coast corridor from Biloxi eastward through the Florida Panhandle toward Tallahassee and Valdosta. Multiple observation points in this zone recorded totals in the 2.21 to 2.67 inch and 2.68 to 3.76 inch ranges, the two highest categories on the observed data map.

Red and orange dots — indicating 2.21 to 3.76 inches — are clustered densely along the Gulf Coast from Alabama through the Florida Panhandle, representing the jackpot rainfall zone for this event.

South Florida Picked Up Meaningful Rain From Lingering Front

A front lingering near South Florida over the next couple of days has been producing consistent rainfall across the Florida peninsula. Observed totals across Central and South Florida from Orlando south through Fort Lauderdale and Miami are shown predominantly in the 0.25 to 0.83 inch and 0.84 to 1.58 inch range, with scattered higher amounts. The southeast side of Florida benefited most from this setup.

Georgia and the Carolinas Received Light to Scattered Totals

Areas across Georgia, South Carolina and coastal North Carolina show a mix of light blue and small dot observations indicating 0.01 to 0.83 inch totals across most of the region. Savannah, Brunswick, and the Charleston area picked up scattered light amounts. Inland Georgia away from the coast recorded minimal accumulations.

Drought Areas Did Not Get Enough

Despite the locally heavy totals along the Gulf Coast, the broader drought footprint across the Southeast did not receive meaningful relief. Rainfall amounts across much of Alabama, Georgia and the interior Southeast fell well short of what would be needed to make a dent in ongoing drought conditions.

Stay with CabarrusWeekly.com for continuing coverage of Southeast rainfall and drought conditions through the coming week.