South Carolina Current Drought Status

State Climate Office                
NEWS RELEASE          DNR News 803-667-0696
September 24, 2015

Committee downgrades drought for coastal counties, optimistic for more with forecast heavy rain

For previously issued drought statements see the archived status reports.

The following counties remain at moderate: Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell, Bamberg, Berkeley, Calhoun, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dorchester, Fairfield, Florence, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Sumter, Williamsburg and York. Anderson, Abbeville, Cherokee, Edgefield, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg and Union counties remain in incipient.

Previously on July 26, the Committee designated all counties to either incipient or moderate status. As rain was once again falling across South Carolina coastal counties, it was an easy decision for the Drought Committee to downgrade the drought status in all coastal counties. There was a longer discussion about the Upstate drought conditions. According to Hope Mizzell, S.C. State Climatologist, "It has been very dry for many areas across the Upstate. However, the Committee was hesitant today to make any major changes due to the potential for heavy rain in the forecast. The rainfall expected over the next few days has the potential to be the largest and most widespread since June 1." The Committee decided to delay upgrading or downgrading the drought status in most counties due to the pending rainfall, but will reevaluate on October 5, 2015. Brad Powers, Blue Ridge Rural Water Company, emphasized, "Much of the Upstate of South Carolina is currently in a moderate drought state, but with the forecast rainfall over the next several days, the Central South Carolina Drought Response Committee feels that leaving the Upstate at incipient, until our next scheduled meeting, is best. If the Upstate fails to receive the forecasted rainfall, I would recommend moving the Upstate part of the Central Drought Area to moderate drought status."

"The forecast for the next week indicates precipitation for the Yadkin-Pee Dee, Catawba-Wateree and Keowee-Toxaway lakes, but without significant rainfall, levels are expected to continuing declining for the foreseeable future and well into the fall," George Galleher, principal engineer with Duke Energy.

Drought Response Committee Chairman Ken Rentiers stated, "With the forecast of rain over the next several days, we are cautiously optimistic drought conditions, for at least some parts of the state, will improve and so the committee is expected to reconvene on October 5.”

Contact Dr. Mizzell in Columbia at (803) 734-9568 or e-mail at mizzellh@dnr.sc.gov for more information.

DNR protects and manages South Carolina's natural resources by making wise and balanced decisions for the benefit of the state's natural resources and its people. Find out more about DNR at the DNR Web site.

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