RALEIGH, N.C. — Drought now reaches into at least 64 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, and state water managers are pressing utilities, farms and households to cut back as dry weather drags into late fall.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map places 14 counties in extreme drought, 32 in severe drought and 18 in moderate drought. Roughly 5.9 million people live in drought-affected areas across the state, and much of the Triangle sits in the severe and extreme categories.
The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council updated its statewide advisory to reflect conditions as of Nov. 10 and released a new drought explainer on Nov. 12. The council is urging water systems in affected areas to put their Water Shortage Response Plans into effect, look at backup and reuse sources, fix leaks and cut use at least in line with how far supplies have fallen below normal for the season.
Systems without a written plan are told to follow the state’s default water-use reduction steps when their area is rated in extreme drought.
Durham shows how tight supplies have become. As of Nov. 9, the city had about 78 days of easily reachable water and 147 days counting emergency reserves. It has been under stage 2 restrictions since June and is buying water from neighboring systems while weighing stage 3, which would halt most outdoor use.
Its two main reservoirs, Lake Michie and Little River, are holding only about a third of their combined capacity after picking up just 0.16 inches of rain in a month. Some of the shared water reaches Durham through pipe links between Triangle utilities that were built after the 2007-08 drought.
The dry spell is also costing businesses. Nurseries and greenhouses that depend on irrigation say restrictions have left plants unsold, and owners expect a slow recovery even after rain returns.
Filed under: Raleigh NC Weather News
