NORTH CAROLINA — With multiple counties marked anywhere from abnormally dry to being in a severe drought by the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council, recent rains have alleviated the conditions.
READ MORE: H2GO extends water restrictions amid drought concerns
ALSO: Brunswick residents face dried up wells, irrigation restrictions amid statewide drought
DMAC classified five counties in severe drought, 30 counties in moderate drought and 47 counties as abnormally dry this month. Roughly 20% of the state was in a drought last week, but now it’s just more than 3% as the state has experienced 2 to 3 inches of rainfall this week.
As of press, New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender, Bladen, and Columbus counties were under a flood watch due to a downpour Thursday night into Friday.
“Widespread, heavy rainfall has resulted in a one-category improvement across most of the state,” Klaus Albertin, chair of the DMAC, said in a release. “While the deficits from June and early July have not been completely erased, conditions have improved significantly. The rains from this week should result in continued improvement.”
Recent drought spells led to some residents in Brunswick County facing dried wells. Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2GO issued a stage 4 water shortage alert on June 19, prohibiting all irrigation and non-essential water use; it was downgraded to a stage two on July 1 and remains in effect.
DMAC marks the tri-county — New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender — abnormally dry on its drought map, updated every Thursday. The region is constituted “D0,” which doesn’t suggest requiring water-use restrictions but does encourage utilities and customers to account for water shortage response plans.
However, Columbus County is still facing severe conditions. It’s marked D2, which requires water shortage response plans and use restrictions.
DMAC is a collaboration of drought experts from various government agencies in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina, and organized by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR). Members of DMAC meet weekly and submit their drought condition recommendations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Drought Mitigation Center for updates to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
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