North Carolina sees drought relief as conditions improve by over 33% in one week

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After months of dry conditions and months of an official drought, North Carolina is finally getting some relief thanks to prolonged rain in the last week. 

The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor on May 15 shows a remarkable turnaround in drought status across both North Carolina and South Carolina, thanks to recent rainfall and seasonal changes. 

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Here’s how conditions have improved in just one week:

• “No Drought” Areas (None):

  • Now: 39.10%

  • Last Week: 26.30%

  • 📈 +12.8% improvement

• Abnormally Dry to Exceptional Drought (D0–D4):

• Moderate to Exceptional Drought (D1–D4):

  • Now: 12.59%

  • Last Week: 45.88%

  • 📉 -33.3% decrease

• Severe Drought (D2):

  • Now: 1.31%

  • Last Week: 6.67%

  • 📉 -5.36% improvement

Data as of May 13, 2025 | Compared to May 6, 2025

“No Drought” Areas (None):

• Now: 49.23%

• Last Week: 12.92%

• 📈 +36.31% improvement

Abnormally Dry to Exceptional Drought (D0–D4):

Moderate to Exceptional Drought (D1–D4): 

• Now: 15.19%

• Last Week: 49.60%

• 📉 -34.41% decrease

• Now: 2.99%

• Last Week: 9.17%

• 📉 -6.18% improvement

Three Months Ago (Feb 13) 

Improvement in drought conditions is more than just numbers — it translates to real-world relief:

• Lawns are greening back up.

• Crop stress and irrigation demands are easing.

• Hay production and pasture health are beginning to recover.

• Voluntary water restrictions are being lifted in some areas.

• The risk for wildfires is dropping to near-normal levels.

Earlier in the year, farmers reported feeding hay early, reduced crop yields, and stress to wildlife. In D2 zones, water use restrictions and closed recreational sites became more common. Fortunately, those impacts are now rapidly receding.

While this week’s report is encouraging, state and local officials remind residents that drought recovery is a process. Soil moisture, stream flows and reservoir levels can lag behind atmospheric improvements. Continued rainfall and water conservation will be key to long-term recovery.

Contact Chris Mulcahy at cmulcahy@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.