Severe drought is the second category of the four drought classifications based on the U.S. Drought Monitor. The last time severe drought occurred in any part of the state occurred October 22, 2019.

“The southern coastal plain has continued to miss out on the moderate rains experienced in the rest of the coastal plain and Piedmont,” said Klaus Albertin, DMAC chairman. “Evaluation of a number of factors including precipitation, soil moisture, and in-the-field observations has resulted in conditions worsening for the six counties now in a severe drought. The forecast for the week looks promising, and we are hopeful the severe drought classification will be short-lived.”

The dry conditions extend westward, which has prompted DMAC to add three counties to the 46 currently experiencing moderate drought. Moderate drought – the least severe of the four drought categories – stretches from Robeson to Dare counties.

Portions of 29 counties in eastern and central North Carolina are currently experiencing abnormally dry conditions, and could reach drought status if dry conditions persist. The area of abnormally dry conditions extends from Madison to Currituck counties along the Virginia border and westward to Mecklenburg County along the South Carolina border.

“We are not seeing water supply issues in our reservoirs and rivers yet, but we encourage residents to follow the water restrictions put in place by their local water systems. Water restrictions help reduce the risk of water shortages if current weather conditions continue,” said Albertin.

“Our hit-or-miss precipitation pattern is helping rainfall deficits increase and drought expand as we enter the summer. We've now wrapped up the state's ninth-driest spring on record. Locally, sites such as Wilmington and Lumberton had their second-driest spring, which has driven the emergence of severe drought conditions in these parts of the southern Coastal Plain.” said Corey Davis of the N.C. State Climate Office.

Drought categories are based on streamflow, groundwater levels, the amount of water stored in reservoirs, soil moisture, the time of year and other relevant factors for assessing the extent and severity of dry conditions. DMAC’s drought map is updated every Thursday morning.

To learn more, visit https://www.ncdrought.org/education.