The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council has classified the whole state as at least abnormally dry and a moderate drought has spread in the eastern part of the state, according to the latest advisory released Thursday.  

Following the deluge brought on by Hurricane Helene, parts of Western North Carolina are now considered abnormally dry, while some of the state’s easternmost counties are now in a moderate drought. 

Western Carolina University is set to host the 14th Annual Rooted in the Mountains Symposium, a two-day event aimed at exposing attendees to the interwoven relationships between climate, health, traditional knowledge and the indigenous worldview.

North Carolina is free from extreme drought in the latest advisory issued by the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) on Thursday.

Although most of the state saw some rainfall in the past week, it was not enough to improve dry conditions, leading the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) to expand its severe and moderate drought classifications across the state. Now, almost all of Western North Carolina is in moderate drought status. 

“This June was the driest on record for the state and one of the warmest,” said Klaus Albertin, chair of the DMAC. “As a result, the state has quickly gone from normal in May to very, very dry. Rain during the last week slowed the rapid drying, but was not enough to improve areas. The southern Coastal Plain saw no rain for another week, resulting in expansion of severe drought in the area and introduction of extreme drought in Columbus County.”  

Groundwater and surface water reservoirs typically see higher demand for water during the summer and the ongoing drought conditions could result in water restrictions. Some counties have updated their water conservation status on ncdrought.org.

For areas in moderate drought, or D1, DMAC recommends water users should adhere to local water use restrictions, project water needs and available water supply for 90 days, among other recommendations. 

“The National Weather Service is forecasting rainfall of 1 to 4 inches across eastern North Carolina in the next week, so the drought conditions may ease up there,” Albertin said. “Unfortunately, damage to many crops may already be done.” 

The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) has classified all or part of 99 counties as in moderate drought or abnormally dry, with high temperatures and low precipitation driving the rapid deterioration of conditions across the state. 

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A lawsuit filed last month in a Washington, D.C., federal court alleges the U.S. Forest Service’s practice of setting “timber targets” puts the climate at risk, undermines the Biden administration’s climate goals and violates federal law. 

Draft priority measures to reduce greenhouse gases in North Carolina are open for public comment through Sunday, Jan. 28. 

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