Drought conditions continued throughout much of North Carolina this week, where a statewide open burn ban remained in effect as firefighters continued to battle a wildfire in the western part of the state.
All or parts of the state’s 20 coastal counties have now been classified as experiencing moderate drought by the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council.
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In its Thursday advisory, the council announced it had designated that same classification to all or parts of 70 counties, including most of the eastern part of the state.
Parts of Onslow County continue to experience severe drought.
“North Carolina saw another week of below or well below average rainfall,” Council Chair Klaus Albertin said in a release. “Impacts from the slow-growing, but widespread, drought had been limited due to lower water demands in winter, but are starting to be felt. Low humidity, high winds and dry vegetation have contributed to increased wildfire activity and impacts to agriculture.”
The North Carolina Forest Service issued a ban on all open burning March 21. The agency has canceled all burning permits until further notice.
Council members meet weekly and submit their drought recommendations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Drought Mitigation Center.
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The council is a collaboration of drought experts from government agencies in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. It is organized by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources.
The council’s classifications are submitted for updates to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
