CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s been no secret that the Carolinas have been dry recently – Charlotte has received just three inches of rain over the past two months – and there’s no relief in sight. Moderate drought has set in from Georgetown County in South Carolina to Dare County in North Carolina, covering some 12,500 square miles. While the Palmetto State has seen a few small patches of dry and drought conditions over the past year, this is North Carolina’s first drought in nearly two years.
The latest drought monitor from the NOAA and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln puts nearly two-thirds of North Carolina under at least abnormally dry conditions, while roughly 40% of South Carolina falls under the same category. While drought coverage in South Carolina is smaller compared to its northern neighbor overall, it is more intense: 18% of the state is under moderate drought. Comparatively, the Tar Heel State is seeing about 12% of its land area covered by moderate drought.
Unfortunately, there will be no rest for the weary (and parched) over the next week. A strong area of high pressure will set up a blocking pattern over the Southeast for the next several days ahead, keeping rain chances few and far between into the start of June. The dry weather paired with our first substantial heat wave of the year will likely only worsen drought conditions across the Carolinas before May is over.
Severe droughts have stayed away from the Carolinas since 2019, but it looks like they may return sooner rather than later.
