Drought Status
For previous weeks' drought status maps, visit the Drought Management Advisory Council's Archives page. For a comparison with drought conditions last year, go to 2007-2008 Comparison of U.S. Drought Monitor.
Parts of North Carolina are drying out again, this time in the east. The number of counties confronting abnormally dry conditions grew from 16 last week to 41 this week, according to Thursday’s federal drought map. All 41 abnormally dry counties extend from the coast west to the Interstate 95 corridor. While no area in North Carolina is in a drought, abnormally dry conditions indicate that drought conditions could reappear without adequate rainfall.
Until a few months ago, North Carolina had faced its worst drought on record – a dry period that extended for more than two years. Short-term forecasts concern drought experts, who warn that some areas of the state could again face drought conditions. Officials are urging people to conserve water wherever possible. As of Thursday, 3.8 million people, or about 54 percent of the people who receive water from systems the state tracks, are under mandatory or voluntary water usage restrictions.