CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s a milestone that’ll catch your eye – almost the entirety of both North and South Carolina are under 'drier than normal conditions'. About 99% of North Carolina is at a D0 or higher, and that number sits at 94% for South Carolina.
There are five levels of the drought monitor:
- D0 (Abnormally Dry)
- D1 (Moderate Drought
- D2 (Severe Drought)
- D3 (Extreme Drought)
- D4 (Exceptional Drought)
NOTE: D0 (Abnormally Dry) is not technically a level of drought. This is only the precursor to drought.
Carolinas' drought expands
With the latest drought update, our biggest expansion was the severe drought. It went from 17% last week to 51% this week in North Carolina. South Carolina saw a slightly smaller increase from 12% to 29%.
The moderate drought is 79% for North Carolina and 66% for South Carolina.
Charlotte drought
The Charlotte area had a dry, drought designation starting in September. Even though we saw some rain late Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the Queen City needs 6.95 inches to get out of the hole.
However, that number just puts us where we should be for 2021 so far. According to data from NOAA, in order to get us back to normal AND out of the drought, Charlotte would need almost a foot of rain.
MORE WEATHER: Charlotte area could see strong storms Saturday
How many people are under drought and what are the local impacts?
In North Carolina, 8,330,991 people are under drought conditions and 2,593,449 people in South Carolina.
Under a severe drought, the biggest impacts are typically seen with dryland crop yields being low, swimming areas and boat ramps being closed, and wildfires being difficult to extinguish.
However, it can also mean voluntary and mandatory water use restrictions being put in place. That hasn’t happened yet, but it could if conditions get worse.
Are we still under a burn ban?
The burn ban was lifted for parts of North Carolina due to limited rainfall earlier this week. It remains in place for all counties shaded in red, which are primarily north of the Charlotte region.
Contact Brittany Van Voorhees at bvanvoorhe@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
