Georgia Gov.: Rain shower 'affirmation'

ATLANTA, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue said Thursday that the rain that sprinkled the Atlanta area overnight is an "affirmation" of his prayer vigil.

Perdue, in Canada on a trade mission, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he knows the precipitation is nowhere near enough to end the drought in the U.S. South and Southwest. But he hopes it is a harbinger of better times to come.

"This is hopefully the beginning of more," Perdue said. "One rain won't refill the reservoirs. It is great affirmation of what we asked for."

The storm brought less than a quarter-inch of rain to most of the Atlanta metropolitan area. A few spots north of the city received as much as four-fifths of an inch.

Perdue presided over Wednesday's prayer vigil. About 250 people attended the ceremony on the statehouse grounds, while a smaller group protested nearby.

The governor said that he believes Georgia residents must practice better water conservation. But he also said he believes that rain comes from God.