South Carolina Current Drought Status
S.C. Drought Response Committee Meeting, October 28, 2008
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will convene the South Carolina Drought Response Committee on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, at 1:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the SC Forestry Commission Headquarters building at 5500 Broad River Road in Columbia, SC.
The purpose of the drought meeting is to evaluate the drought status statewide. The committee will review climatic data, streamflow and lake level data, and drought impacts. Local response to the on-going drought will also be reviewed to determine if additional actions are needed to insure sustainable water supplies.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 803-734-9568 or email me at mizzellh@dnr.sc.gov.
Extreme Drought Continues for 9 Western South Carolina Counties.
For previously issued drought statements see the archived status reports.
Table of all counties and drought status.
Drought Response Committee Meeting Sign-In sheet.
Discussion:
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources convened the S.C. Drought Response Committee on September 16, 2008 in Greenville and nine Upstate counties remain in extreme drought. Ten counties were downgraded or maintained at severe and three remain at moderate status. Thirteen counties were downgraded to incipient status. Recent rains prompted the Drought Response Committee to remove the drought declaration for ten counties: Marion, Dillon, Marlboro, Florence, Horry, Williamsburg, Berkeley, Dorchester and Colleton. The drought declaration was removed for Georgetown and Charleston during the August meeting.
The counties remaining in the extreme category are: Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Abbeville, Laurens, Greenwood and McCormick counties. For more information about drought and to see a drought status by county map, visit the Office of State Climatology Drought Website at: www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Drought/drought_current_info.php.
David Tompkins with the S.C. Department of Agriculture reported, "The impact of the drought on agriculture continues for parts of the state with significant concern over hay availability for our cattle industry."
The S.C. Forestry Commission cited a 9.55% increase in wildfires for July/August and a 66.4% increase in the number of acres burned compared to the five-year average. The Commission expects to have an active fall fire season.
Stan Simpson, US Army Corps of Engineers, provided a review of the Corps' operation of the Savannah River lakes in response to the drought explaining that Lakes Hartwell and Thurmond is expected to reach new record lows over the next 10 weeks.
Andy Wachob, DNR Hydrologist, reported all lakes around the state are below their target level except Lake Murray. He noted Jocassee, Hartwell and Thurmond lakes were the hardest hit by drought. He also spoke about the steady decline in most Upstate groundwater wells with a well in Spartanburg at a record low and a well in Oconee County near record low.
According to Mizzell, "We are entering the driest months climatologically, October-November, and without rainfall from tropical systems, rainfall amounts during these months can be very low."
Steve de Kozlowski, S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Land, Water, and Conservation Division Interim Deputy Director, stated, "Upstate water systems can ensure they maintain adequate supplies through rigorous conservation efforts."
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 www.dnr.sc.gov. For more drought information contact State Climatologist Hope Mizzell in Columbia at (803) 734-9568 or e-mail MizzellH@dnr.sc.gov.
Drought Status Table
| Current Drought Status by County |
|---|
| Normal |
Incipient |
Moderate |
Severe |
Extreme |
County
Status |
County
Status |
County
Status |
County
Status |
County
Status |
|---|
ABBEVILLE
Extreme |
AIKEN
Moderate |
ALLENDALE
Incipient |
ANDERSON
Extreme |
BAMBERG
Incipient |
BARNWELL
Incipient |
BEAUFORT
Incipient |
BERKELEY
Normal |
CALHOUN
Incipient |
CHARLESTON
Normal |
CHEROKEE
Severe |
CHESTER
Severe |
CHESTERFIELD
Incipient |
CLARENDON
Incipient |
COLLETON
Normal |
DARLINGTON
Incipient |
DILLON
Normal |
DORCHESTER
Normal |
EDGEFIELD
Severe |
FAIRFIELD
Severe |
FLORENCE
Normal |
GEORGETOWN
Normal |
GREENVILLE
Extreme |
GREENWOOD
Extreme |
HAMPTON
Incipient |
HORRY
Normal |
JASPER
Incipient |
KERSHAW
Severe |
LANCASTER
Severe |
LAURENS
Extreme |
LEE
Incipient |
LEXINGTON
Moderate |
MARION
Normal |
MARLBORO
Normal |
MCCORMICK
Extreme |
NEWBERRY
Severe |
OCONEE
Extreme |
ORANGEBURG
Incipient |
PICKENS
Extreme |
RICHLAND
Moderate |
SALUDA
Severe |
SPARTANBURG
Extreme |
SUMTER
Incipient |
UNION
Severe |
WILLIAMSBURG
Normal |
YORK
Severe |
|
Return to top
Sign-In Sheet
SC Drought Response Committee Meeting, October 7, 2008
Sign-In sheet |
|---|
| Name & Agency | Name & Agency |
|---|
Nick Anastos - Citizen
Ann Soenen - Citizen - River Bluff Community
Doug Pierce - Citizen
Steven J. de Kozlowski - SCDNR
Stan Simpson - US Corps of Engineers
Charlie Sowell - Greenville Journal
John Baker - International Paper
David Baize - SCDHEC
Frank Eskridge - Greenville Water System
Ed Jensen - Word News
Scott Willett - Anderson Regional Water
Stuart Ames - Drought Committee
Doug Young
Mitch Turner - SJWD Water District
John Shelton - USGS
Eric Strom - USGS
Ken Forrester - SCDNR
Warren Harris - Drought Committee
Rick Jones - Town of West Union
|
KC Price - Greenville Water System
Jamie Bach - Governor's Office
Connie Gawns - SCDNR
Lee Mitchell - SCDNR
Kirsten Lackstrom - University of South Carolina
Becky Wooten
Ed Hughes
Margaret Richardson - EMD
Lynne Newton
Paul Alongi - Greenville News
Steve Hammond - Duke Energy
John Westcott - Drought Committee
Gregory Lambouty - National Weather Service
David Tompkins - SC Dept. of Ag
George Gallegar - Duke Energy
Nigel Roberton - WYFF
Andrew Wachob - SCDNR
Evelyn Johnson - SCDNR
Hope Mizzell - SCDNR
Brett Witt - SCDNR
|
Find out more about the State Climatology Office at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/ or by calling (803) 734-9100.
