South Carolina Current Drought Status

State Climate Office                
NEWS RELEASE          DNR News 803-667-0696
July 16, 2015

All of South Carolina now under drought status

South Carolina Drought Map for July 16, 2015

For previously issued drought statements see the archived status reports.

Table of all counties and drought status.
Drought Response Committee Meeting Sign-In sheet.

The S.C. Drought Response Committee, meeting via conference call on July 16, has upgraded the drought status of the entire state. Previously on June 19 the committee had designated 28 counties to the first level of drought. Those counties are now in the second or moderate stage of drought.

The counties upgraded to the moderate stage of drought include Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell, Bamberg, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Sumter, Williamsburg and York. All other counties in South Carolina are now in the first level of drought or incipient.

The purpose of the moderate declaration is to increase awareness that drought conditions are intensifying. Water systems are asked to review their Drought Response Plans and Ordinances and implement as needed.

"It's clear that drought is affecting folks all across the state. Irrigation has helped provide moisture to some crops, but it doesn't replace a good soaking rain," said S.C. Department of Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers. "This summer's weather furthers illustrates the partnership that farmers have with Mother Nature. The short-term forecast isn't optimistic, but we'll continue to pray for relief from the heat and drought."

"Duke Energy strongly supports the Drought Committee's moving the drought classification to moderate based on the very low stream flows, dry soil moisture and widespread low rainfall amounts over the last 30 days. Duke Energy is concerned with lake levels and is carefully managing hydroelectric operations under these conditions," stated George Galleher, principal engineer with Duke Energy.

"Due to below normal rainfall over the past several months, streamflow levels have dropped considerably and are well below normal for this time of year," reported Scott Harder, S.C. Department of Natural Resources hydrologist. "These low streamflows have caused small but steady declines in most of the state's major reservoirs and most of the reservoirs are currently below their target levels."

Bobby Brock with the Marlboro Water Company and Northeast Drought Committee said, "Several farmers in Marlboro County agree that the combination of hot weather and lack of rainfall is having an impact on their farming operations, particular those without irrigation. It certainly has affected the corn crop and will impact peanuts and soybeans if we do not get rain soon."

According to Hope Mizzell, SC State Climatologist, "Rainfall totals within each county are highly variable, for example in York County some areas are reporting less than 2" since June 1 while others have received over 7". Since our last Drought Committee meeting in mid-June, rainfall totals have decreased statewide. The drought impacts have been intensified due to the much above normal temperatures."

Select National Weather Service Cooperative Network rainfall totals and departure from normal valuesfor the period June 15 – July 15 are provided below:

June15-July 15, 2015 Rainfall Totals and Percent of Normal Values

STATION NAMERAINFALL
(Inches)
% OF NORMAL STATION NAME RAINFALL
(Inches)
% OF NORMAL
Winnsboro 0.58 14 Wateree Dam 2.7162
Greenville 0.8921 Walterboro 1 SW 3.9472
Santuck 0.9623 Columbia Metro 4.0173
Chester 1 SE 1.3931 Bamberg 4.0274
Cleveland 3S 1.6632 Anderson 2.6075
Pickens 1.4533 Jocassee 8 WNW 5.37 77
Johnston 4SW 1.5735 Sumter 4.4377
Newberry 1.6237 Charleston AFB 4.8878
Cheraw 2.3244 Manning 4.1078
Orangeburg 2 2.6551 Florence 3.8178
Andrews 2.7452 Marion 4.9194
Caesars Head 3.7957 Walhalla 5.49122

Drought Response Committee Chairman Ken Rentiers stated, "The Committee will continue to monitorthe situation closely and if conditions deteriorate the S.C. Department of Natural Resources will reconvene thecommittee as needed."

Drought Status Table

Current Drought Status by County
Normal Incipient Moderate Severe Extreme
County
Status
County
Status
County
Status
County
Status
County
Status
ABBEVILLE
Incipient
AIKEN
Moderate
ALLENDALE
Moderate
ANDERSON
Incipient
BAMBERG
Moderate
BARNWELL
Moderate
BEAUFORT
Incipient
BERKELEY
Moderate
CALHOUN
Moderate
CHARLESTON
Moderate
CHEROKEE
Incipient
CHESTER
Moderate
CHESTERFIELD
Moderate
CLARENDON
Moderate
COLLETON
Moderate
DARLINGTON
Moderate
DILLON
Moderate
DORCHESTER
Moderate
EDGEFIELD
Incipient
FAIRFIELD
Moderate
FLORENCE
Moderate
GEORGETOWN
Moderate
GREENVILLE
Incipient
GREENWOOD
Incipient
HAMPTON
Moderate
HORRY
Moderate
JASPER
Incipient
KERSHAW
Moderate
LANCASTER
Moderate
LAURENS
Incipient
LEE
Moderate
LEXINGTON
Incipient
MARION
Moderate
MARLBORO
Moderate
MCCORMICK
Incipient
NEWBERRY
Incipient
OCONEE
Incipient
ORANGEBURG
Moderate
PICKENS
Incipient
RICHLAND
Incipient
SALUDA
Incipient
SPARTANBURG
Incipient
SUMTER
Moderate
UNION
Incipient
WILLIAMSBURG
Moderate
YORK
Moderate


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Find out more about the State Climatology Office at https://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/ or by calling (803) 734-9100.