R.E.M. was opening for the Human League at the Palace Theater in Los Angeles on June 11, 1983 when they got word of downpours in the South Central region of Georgia. The band is from Athens, Georgia, which is located in this area, so they tried to call their families and friends to make sure they were OK, but the phones were out because of the torrential rain. The band wrote "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" in response to this incident.
Per a mention on the songfacts website:
R.E.M. was opening for the Human League at the Palace Theater in Los Angeles on June 11, 1983 when they got word of downpours in the South Central region of Georgia. The band is from Athens, Georgia, which is located in this area, so they tried to call their families and friends to make sure they were OK, but the phones were out because of the torrential rain. The band wrote "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" in response to this incident.