We're expecting a much needed drink of rain, but will it be enough to finally put this drought behind us? We set out to answer that question.

We're already seeing the damage to trees, the evidence is all over the ground. The leaves typically begin to fall off much later in the year. The result of this drought will be a longer Fall season, but a less colorful one. It's only August, but from the looks of it, it seems to be October. Area Forester Bill Perry says he's never seen trees drop their leaves this early.

Bill Perry, Virginia Department of Forestry - "It's a survival mechanism to conserve water."

While it is stressful on the trees, some are making the most of it. The Gaebe family of Lynchburg has found recreation in the sudden abundance of leaves.

Roy Gaebe, Father of Five - "The kids are enjoying it, they don't care, get a little early Fall I guess."

They can expect to see more leaves in the next few weeks, even with this week's expected rainfall.

Sean Sublette, ABC13 Meteorologist - "Yeah, I mean it's going to take a lot more work to really alleviate the drought considering we've only had 10% to 15% of normal rain."

Believe it or not, this first big rainfall won't do much for the trees.

Sublette - "When the ground is very dry and the rain comes down very hard, it's kind of like the desert, it doesn't absorb the moisture or the rain as quickly."

The good news is, Oak and Hickory trees are still in good shape. They're the ones that provide those bright leaves that make this area so colorful. They'll begin to show a few weeks early around the first of October. And they could also show some effects of the drought.

Perry - "The colors aren't as vibrant as they typically are during a good wet year but we will still have color."

Foresters say the biggest concern of the drought and all these early leaves comes from the threat of wildfires. The longer these sit on the ground, the drier they get. And that could be a lot of fuel for a fire.