That led Georgia's governor Sonny Perdue to lead a prayer service asking for rain.

Now, two years later, more than a foot of rain has fallen on the Southeast in the past two months, including 15 inches in Atlanta.

That's about twice the usual amount of rainfall, according to the National Weather Service.

At Lake Hartwell, a major source of drinking water for Georgia and South Carolina, water levels have risen three feet in recent weeks.

At Lake Lanier, Atlanta's main source of drinking water, reservoir levels are full for the first time in four years. As recently as December, the lake was 20 feel below pool level.

This comes as a relief to state officials, who have worried about how to deal with the intense drought.

Despite the recent rains, some experts warned residents not to abandon conservation efforts, which had been embraced as a way to help deal with the drought.