Drought conditions are worsening across North Carolina, with nearly the entire western third of the state now classified as being in extreme drought. That includes most of the Charlotte region. The rest of the state is considered to be in either severe or extreme drought.
Assistant State Climatologist Corey Davis said Thursday that Charlotte is running 15 to 17 inches below normal rainfall since August. Even if rain returns soon, he said, it will take months to reverse the drought.
Davis said a sudden, heavy downpour would not solve the problem and could actually create new ones.
“If the skies suddenly opened up tomorrow and dropped 17 inches on Charlotte, that would not end the drought,” Davis said. “Most of that moisture would run off. It would not have time to soak down into the ground, it would not reach our reservoirs or those deeper groundwater stores, and it would probably cause more flooding problems than anything.”
Municipalities across the Charlotte region are asking residents to voluntarily conserve water. Officials say stricter, mandatory limits will be put in place if conditions do not improve.
More than 90% of North Carolina is considered short on topsoil moisture. That can affect seed germination and early-stage crop growth and may influence what farmers choose to plant this year.
Davis said the outlook for tropical storm activity this summer could mean the drought lasts longer than usual.
“Sometimes we say that the best cure for a drought is a good hurricane,” Davis said. “We may not be able to count on that, especially later in this hurricane season if activity winds down due to El Niño.”
