Slight Drought Relief for the PeeDee and Surrounding Areas
Recent rains have led to a shift in drought status for thirteen South Carolina counties, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. These counties were previously under severe drought status, due to an extreme combination of high temperatures and minimal rainfall. Thanks to the change in climate, they are now experiencing a moderate defect.
Impact of Rainfall
The Pee Dee Region and Midlands were among the areas hit the hardest by the drought, but recent rainfall has improved conditions significantly. Back on July 9, the entirety of South Carolina was declared to be under a severe drought. Nevertheless, the weather system that has developed since then brought a significant amount of rain which resulted in the downgrade of drought status in many areas.
The extent of shear relief can be analyzed through the observations by the Department of Natural Resources that fifteen counties were initially experiencing severe drought. Now, only four remain under that category. The remaining eleven were shifted to the status of a moderate drought while some were removed altogether.
Drought Relief and River Flow Rates
The areas surrounding the Little PeeDee and Black Rivers benefitted particularly well from the increased rainfall. There was a noticeable increase in river flow, suggesting a positive turn in the area’s water reserves. Natural activity from local wildlife has also shown a decrease, hinting towards a healthier ecosystem.
Typically, the hot dry conditions tend to incite wildfires, and the number of wildfires too has decreased over recent weeks. The week ending on July 21 saw twenty-two wildfires, affecting 77 acres, closely matching historical averages. This indicates a return towards more normal numbers and conditions.
Future Outlook and Agricultural Concerns
Despite the positive changes, there is still a long way to go towards improvement. The Department of Natural Resources has warned that many areas are still in dire need of additional rainfall. Aftereffects of the recent severe drought have caused a significant amount of damage to local agriculture, and farmers desperately need rains to heal their scorched fields.
Furthermore, there’s a growing fear amongst farmers that it might already be too late for a complete recovery. What is now needed is not only more rainfall but rainfall at regular intervals. Even so, these recent rains have at least led to a decline in the severity of the drought situation. The four counties still remaining under the severe drought category are Calhoun, Sumter, Clarendon, and Williamsburg.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will come together once more on August 13 to evaluate the drought conditions and make further decisions based on the climatic scenario at the time.
