South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Land, Water and Conservation Division
South Carolina Drought Response Program
Department of Natural Resources News (803) 734-4133
Although South Carolina received some precipitation earlier this month,climatologists with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources say the state's drought conditions persist.
Preliminary precipitation reports just released indicate that 2001 was the second driest year on record in South Carolina since 1895. The statewide average precipitation total for 2001 was 34.88 inches, which is 13 inches below normal. The driest year on record was 1954, with 32.06 inches reported as the statewide average.
For the first week of 2002 the state received a wide range of precipitation types - rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow. Snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 8 inches for the Midlands and Upstate to a trace along the coast. The water equivalent total for the rain and snow events averaged 0.7 inches. Recent precipitation events have improved moisture levels in the upper level of the soil, but have had minimal impact on the long-term hydrological deficit.
According to Masaaki Kiuchi, hydrologist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR), all monitored streams in the state are in the "extreme drought" category, which is less than 90 percent of the minimum flow. The low streamflows and lack of precipitation have caused many lake levels to continuously drop. Lake Marion is reporting levels six feet below capacity, Lake Jocassee is 19.6 feet below, and Lake Hartwell is 12 feet below. It will require above-normal precipitation over a period of time for most lakes to return to near capacity.
The state has experienced drought conditions since June 1998, the longest drought period since the 1950s. Table 1 below shows the annual rainfall amounts since 1998 for selected stations around the state. The annual precipitation totals are below normal except for 1998, when there was a very wet period from January through April. According to Milt Brown, acting State Climatologist with the DNR, the four-year rainfall deficit ranges from 16.37 inches at Charleston to 59.01 inches at Columbia.
Kiuchi emphasizes that this is the time of year for ground water levels to start recovering. There has been little recharge during the multi-year drought. Since the drought began in June 1998, the annual mean water level in a shallow sand monitoring well in Aiken County has dropped about 2 feet. It could take several continuous normal to wet years for water levels in deeper aquifers to recover.
Hope Mizzell, DNR Drought Program Coordinator, comments that while climatologically 2001 was the driest year since the drought began, the economic impacts were less, especially for agriculture. South Carolina received rainfall at critical times during the growing season. Last year, however, the state reported the second worst southern pine beetle outbreak since records began in the early 1960s. According to Ken Cabe with the S.C. Forestry Commission, the drought significantly contributed to the southern pine beetle epidemic. Trees weakened by drought are more susceptible to the tree-killing beetles. Timber losses due to beetles in 2001 was total $76 million.
The drought also caused a significant reduction in forest growth. The Forestry Commission reports that of trees planted during 2000 survival was 25 percent less than expected. It was also the worst fall fire season since 1991 with the Forestry Commission responding to 2,308 fires, which burned 12,565 acres from September through December. This is double the average number of fires and four times the number of acres normally burned during the four-month fall season.
Mizzell explains that the four-year drought has had a major economic impact on the state with significant effects on tourism, forestry, and agriculture. Losses continue to accumulate and are difficult to quantify because of the indirect impact it has on so many sectors.
Table 1:
Allendale YEAR Rainfall Normal Departure 1998 51.34 49.04 2.30 1999 39.46 49.04 -9.58 2000 36.87 49.04 -12.17 2001 34.56 49.04 -14.48 Total 162.23 196.16 -33.93 Beaufort YEAR Rainfall Normal Departure 1998 53.64 51.40 2.24 1999 50.77 51.40 -0.63 2000 37.82 51.40 -13.58 2001 33.72 51.40 -17.68 Total 175.95 205.6 -29.65 Charleston YEAR Rainfall Normal Departure 1998 57.20 51.53 5.67 1999 46.61 51.53 -4.92 2000 45.94 51.53 -5.59 2001 40.00 51.53 -11.53 Total 189.75 206.12 -16.37 Cheraw YEAR Rainfall Normal Departure 1998 56.95 48.59 8.36 1999 40.82 48.59 -7.77 2000 45.97 48.59 -2.62 2001 34.11 48.59 -14.48 Total 177.85 194.36 -16.51 Chester YEAR Rainfall Normal Departure 1998 55.23 48.43 6.80 1999 34.31 48.43 -14.12 2000 43.33 48.43 -5.10 2001 32.46 48.43 -15.97 Total 165.33 193.72 -28.39 Clemson YEAR Rainfall Normal Departure 1998 61.46 54.40 7.06 1999 43.79 54.40 -10.61 2000 37.21 54.40 -17.19 2001 39.46 54.40 -14.94 Total 181.92 217.6 -35.68 Columbia YEAR Rainfall Normal Departure 1998 46.47 49.91 -3.44 1999 29.97 49.91 -19.94 2000 36.21 49.91 -13.70 2001 27.98 49.91 -21.93 Total 140.63 199.64 -59.01 Florence YEAR Rainfall Normal Departure 1998 43.42 43.84 -0.42 1999 39.45 43.84 -4.39 2000 36.04 43.84 -7.80 2001 30.83 43.84 -13.01 Total 149.74 175.36 -25.62 Greenville-Spartanburg YEAR Rainfall Normal Departure 1998 51.98 51.27 0.71 1999 36.16 51.27 -15.11 2000 35.04 51.27 -16.23 2001 40.38 51.27 -10.89 Total 163.56 205.08 -41.52 Johnston YEAR Rainfall Normal Departure 1998 50.31 49.25 1.06 1999 37.56 49.25 -11.69 2000 47.37 49.25 -1.88 2001 31.51 49.25 -17.74 Total 166.75 197.00 -30.25 Sumter YEAR Rainfall Normal Departure 1998 53.95 48.14 5.81 1999 38.73 48.14 -9.41 2000 36.62 48.14 -11.52 2001 36.84 48.14 -11.30 Total 166.14 192.56 -26.42
Find out more about the State Climatology Office at https://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/ or by calling (803) 734-9100.
