South Carolina Current Drought Status

State Climate Office                 803-734-9100
NEWS RELEASE          DNR News 803-734-3815
August 29, 2008

S.C. Drought Response Committee Meeting, September 16, 2008

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will convene the South Carolina Drought Response Committee on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, at 10:00 AM. The meeting will be held at the Greenville County Council Building, Council Chambers, located at 301 University Ridge in Greenville, 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.

Governor Continues to Urge Water Conservation.

South Carolina Drought Map for August 5, 2008

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:

GOVERNOR ASKS CITIZENS TO HEED CALL FOR VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION

Columbia, S.C. - August 15, 2008 - Following his tour earlier this week of Pickens County in the state's most severely drought-stricken region, Governor Sanford again today urged citizens to take water conservation measures upon themselves and voluntarily conserve water in advance of any state requirement.

"Whether or not you're being impacted right now with any restrictions, it's important for people to know that this drought situation is very real and that folks in the Upstate, particularly farmers, are hurting right now," Gov. Sanford said. "To that end, I'd again urge all South Carolinians - particularly those in the Upstate - to take individual initiative to conserve water. I can't emphasize enough the importance of doing so now if we want to avoid restrictions later on."

On Wednesday, the governor asked that all but two of South Carolina's counties be declared federal disaster areas. Gov. Sanford noted in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer that more than 30 percent of this year's harvest of corn, hay and pasture crops have already been lost because of the drought.

The state Drought Response Committee has also asked residents in the 14-county extreme drought area to voluntarily conserve water, and some water systems imposed mandatory restrictions on certain water usage. The state Department of Natural Resources has also issued a number of tips for water conservation, which can be found at https://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Drought/Drought_press/release_Jul21_2008.php.

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


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Sign-In Sheet

SC Drought Response Committee Meeting, August 29, 2008
Sign-In sheet
Name & AgencyName & Agency
Greg Henderson
Hal Beard - SCDNR Fisheries
Bill Payne - Savannah River Nucleur Solutions
Chris Sowell
Warren Harris - Town of Salem
Bobby Brock - Marlboro Water Co.
Scott Holland - Duke Energy
John Baker - International Paper
Tom Couch - City Of Camden
Elbert Warren - Darlington County W&SA
John Westcott - Spartanburg Water
Dennis Chastain - Drought Committee
Bill Stroud - Ft. Mill
Brad Powers - Drought Committee
Andrew Wachob - SCDNR
George Hatcher - Gov Office
Anthena Strickland - PDRC - Domtar Paper
Sue G. Schneider - Spartanburg Water
Reg Williams - Drought Committee
Francis M. Tubolino - SCEMD
Lynn Stovall - Greenville Water System
Scott Willer - Anderson Regional Water
Kirstin Dow - USC - Department of Geography
Larry Bowling
Fred Boatwright - Orangeburg DPU
Eric Odom - Orangeburg DPU
Louvenia Morrison - National Weather Service
Gregory Lambouty - National Weather Service
David Glenn - National Weather Service
Jerry Lindeman CFS
Joey Holleman - The State
Marion Rizer - CS&WCD
Chris Bickley - Lowcounty 606
Steve Hammond
Mark Bruce
David Merryman
Tom Clements - Friends of the Earth
Bob Knight - Greenville Water System
Jim Shoemaker - Greenville Water System
Andy Fairey - Drought Committee
Bill Taylor - Town of Cheraw
Greg Lucas - SCDNR
Pickens Williams - Drought Committee
Theron Dewitt - Conservation District
Stuart Ames - Drought Committee
Mickael McShnane - DNR Chairman
Monica Linnenlink - SCDNR
Darryl Jones - Forestry Commission
Evelyn Johnson - SCDNR
Hope Mizzell - SCDNR
Steven J. de Kozlowski - SCDNR


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