North Raleigh Today

The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) has identified 99 of the state's 100 counties as facing drought or abnormally dry conditions, according to its latest advisory released Thursday.

Five counties in Eastern North Carolina—Carteret, Craven, Jones, Onslow, and Pamlico—are experiencing severe drought (D2 conditions). Fifty-eight counties are under moderate drought (D1 conditions), while another 36 are abnormally dry.

"The good news is that these persistent drought and dry conditions have occurred over the winter when water demands are lower," said Klaus Albertin, chair of the DMAC. "Farmers have seen some pasture and winter grain impacts, but it's not the main growing season, so impacts were limited. Water supply reservoirs have been able to manage their levels and are at targets for this time of year. The deficits could set up a challenging spring if the pattern doesn't change."

The state has not been free from drought since mid-October. Data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) show a statewide average deficit of 6.64 inches from October through February.

"We've only had a few weeks that have met or exceeded average rainfall expectations since October," Albertin noted. "As a result, we've been slowly building a large deficit. It was somewhat expected because of the La Niña weather pattern."

With March marking the start of North Carolina's spring wildfire season, the N.C. Forest Service urges residents to use best practices and common sense with outdoor fires, particularly when burning yard debris.

The NCDEQ Division of Air Quality reminds North Carolinians: If it doesn't grow, don't burn it. Open burning is allowed only in limited circumstances and solely for vegetative materials like leaves, limbs, and yard debris.

In response to Hurricane Helene's impacts in western North Carolina, special provisions remain until the end of March to aid efficient processing of vegetative disaster debris in affected counties. While grinding or chipping wood debris is preferred, guidance for burning debris is available online.

DMAC consists of drought experts from various government agencies across North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina and is organized by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR). Members meet weekly to submit recommendations on drought conditions to national bodies such as NOAA and USDA for updates to the U.S. Drought Monitor map.

For more information on North Carolina's drought map or educational resources about droughts visit ncdrought.org.