The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council has expanded the moderate drought classification to encompass 70 counties, as detailed in the latest advisory issued on Thursday. Within this advisory, areas within Onslow County have been designated as experiencing severe drought conditions, while another 27 counties are identified as abnormally dry.
“North Carolina saw another week of below or well below average rainfall,” stated Klaus Albertin, chair of the Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC). “Impacts from the slow-growing, but widespread, drought had been limited due to lower water demands in winter, but are starting to be felt. Low humidity, high winds and dry vegetation have contributed to increased wildfire activity and impacts to agriculture.”
In response to the heightened fire risk, the North Carolina Forest Service has imposed a statewide ban on all open burning and revoked all burning permits effective 8 a.m. on Friday, March 21, until further notice.
The DMAC, which consists of drought experts from various government agencies across North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina, operates under the organization of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR). These experts meet weekly to provide drought condition recommendations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Drought Mitigation Center, contributing to updates on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
North Carolina’s drought map, reflecting these updates, is refreshed weekly on Thursdays, capturing conditions up to the preceding Tuesday.
For more information, the public can view North Carolina’s drought map at www.ncdrought.org and find additional resources at https://www.ncdrought.org/education.
