Duplin County experiencing severe drought 

On Thursday, Jan. 16 the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) issued a drought advisory, classifying Duplin County as one of 11 counties in eastern North Carolina experiencing severe drought conditions.

“This current dry spell in North Carolina began with a very dry October and warm November,” said Klaus Albertin, chair of the DMAC. “We have had a number of rain events, but the total monthly precipitation for many areas in the state has been below average in October, November and December. While some areas received four to 4 to 6 inches of snowfall last week, the water equivalence of snow is much less than rainfall, so the end effect was less than an inch of moisture.” 

According to the advisory report, impacts to water systems are expected to be limited at this time due to lower demand and dormant vegetation. Water users are advised to follow the Water Shortage Response recommended by their water utilities.  The mid- to long-term forecast indicates a continuation of dry winter conditions due to the La Niña weather pattern.

DMAC updates its drought map every Thursday, based on conditions observed through the previous Tuesday. The next update will be released on Jan. 23. Visit www.ncdrought.org to view North Carolina’s drought map.