The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council recommends residents in coastal counties that are experiencing severe drought conditions cut out nonessential water use.
The council, which monitors drought conditions throughout the state, last week classified eight counties in eastern North Carolina, including five on the coast, as experiencing severe drought.
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Those counties include Beaufort, Craven, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Columbus, Martin and Washington.
Water users in counties experiencing severe drought should implement Water Shortage Response Plans, participate in regional and local coordination of water resource management, reexamine water delivery systems to minimize water loss and maximize efficiency, and eliminate nonessential users of water, according to a N.C. Department of Environmental Quality release.
Fifty counties in the Piedmont and western part of the state have been classified as experiencing moderate drought conditions and another 32 counties are experiencing abnormally dry conditions.
“The effects of a very dry winter and early spring are starting to be seen,” council Chair Klaus Albertin said in a release. “Some areas are seeing a rainfall deficit of 6 to 10 inches since October. Impacts from ongoing drought conditions were limited in winter months, but will become more noticeable as we enter the growing season.”
The council is organized by DEQ’s Division of Water Resources and includes drought experts from government agencies in North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina. The council meets weekly. Drought maps are updated every Thursday.
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