No major changes to drought in NC, but Tuesday’s rain not included in new report

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — There have been no major changes to the severe drought conditions in North Carolina this week, but the new report doesn’t include Tuesday’s rain.

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The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report was released Thursday, but the data is only valid up to Monday at 8 a.m., the day before central North Carolina experienced severe thunderstorms.

Prior to the thunderstorms, according to the report, 7% of North Carolina was in a D4 exceptional drought, the most severe condition and the same percentage from last week.

The report shows the four central North Carolina counties in an exceptional drought also had their numbers unchanged from last week:

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• Wake County: 29.71% in exceptional drought
• Durham County: 95.78% in exceptional drought
• Orange County: 97.3% in exceptional drought
• Person County: 78.6% in exceptional drought
• Granville County: 60.79% in exceptional drought
• Franklin County: 38.07% in exceptional drought
• Nash County: 4.03% in exceptional drought

Although the exceptional drought numbers remained the same from last week, according to the report, the percentage of North Carolina in a D3 extreme drought went down to 38.17%, a 1.5% decrease.

Cumberland County’s extreme drought conditions went down from 39.7% to 23.7%, according to the report.

It’s no longer the driest start to the year, but still in the top five.

While the official reporting site at Raleigh-Durham International Airport is near normal for rainfall this month, this year’s deficit is going to be hard to make up. About 13 to 15 inches of rain would be needed to end the drought in the span of one month.

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