Lack of rainfall and high temperatures could pose problems

Beaufort County is among 17 counties in eastern North Carolina experiencing severe drought.

Above-normal temperatures and rainfall deficits are factors in those counties facing severe drought, the second-worst of the four drought categories – moderate drought, severe drought, extreme drought and exceptional drought.

Hyde, Washington, Tyrrell and Craven counties are on the list of counties experiencing severe drought.

“We are seeing below normal streamflows and groundwater levels due to the recent lack of rainfall and high temperatures, especially along the coast,” said Tom Reeder, director of the N.C. Division of Water Resources. “There have not been any reports of water-supply impacts. But if these dry conditions continue, we will likely see greater impacts into the summer months.”

State officials remind the public to abide by any water restrictions that may have been enacted by their local water system, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“We regularly monitor our wells. As of right now, we are not implementing any water-conservation measures,” Beaufort County Manager Paul Spruill said Thursday.

Beaufort County has several wells that serve its water districts, but all of the water districts on the north side of the Pamlico River buy their water from Washington.

Allen Lewis, the city’s public-works director, said the city is currently not implementing any restrictions of water use. The city gets its water from several wells that tap into the Castle Hayne aquifer.

“We are monitoring our well levels. At this time, we have seen no appreciable difference in the well levels compared to what they were at this time last year,” Lewis said Thursday.

“The heat has taken the strawberries, but it’s about time for them to go,” said Shawn Harding with Southside Farm on Thursday.

The heat and drought conditions are affecting the farm’s crops, he said.

“We’re irrigating as much as possible, but we can’t irrigate everything,” Harding said.

There is a solution to the drought, he noted.

“I’d like to see … a tropical storm. That would wet things,” Harding said.

Sixty-five of North Carolina’s 100 counties are experiencing drought or dry conditions, according to Thursday’s federal drought map. Twenty counties, including Martin and Pitt counties, are experiencing moderate drought, and 28 counties are considered abnormally dry, according to the map.

Thursday marked the first time since March that any part of the North Carolina has experienced severe drought. To view the federal drought map for North Carolina, go to www.ncdrought.org.

The western part of the state is not experiencing drought or dry conditions.