Severe drought has expanded across the WCCB viewing area. As of the latest drought update this week, the entire region is under some form of moderate to severe drought. This comes after the lack of rain since the start of September.
More than 75% of the Carolinas is now under some form of abnormally dry conditions. More than 40% of the Carolinas are in moderate to severe drought.
Charlotte has only received 1.86″ of rainfall since September 1. This is more than 5″ below the normal rainfall of 6.98″ through October 31. It is the driest stretch during this time of year the city has experienced since 1961.
Due to the worsening drought, the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Group has placed the Catawba-Wateree river basin in a stage 1 drought. According to a press release Thursday, Duke Energy hydroelectric plant will continue to operate, but at reduced levels. This will reduce downstream minimum flow releases and reduced recreational flow hours in order to preserve water storage in lake levels. Some boat ramps will close temporarily due to lower lake levels. Currently this includes: Ramsey Creek Park, Buster Boyd Access Area, and Allison Creek Access Area. You can find the latest information on lake levels and closed public access boat ramps here.
Residents are also encouraged to be mindful of water usage and conserve water.
The forecast over the next week does not bring much relief from the ongoing drought. A cold front will slide through the region late in the weekend, but it will have little to no moisture to tap into. This keeps rain chances slim to none at best through the second week of November.
