Drought worse than ever

The drought plaguing North Carolina worsened over the past week. The entire state is now officially classified as being in some form of drought -- ranging from "exceptional" in the western mountains to "moderate" along the coast.

Drought conditions in the Triangle and other parts of central North Carolina continue to be considered "severe," according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which issued its newest map this morning.

For the first time this year, 12 counties in the state's western tip are in exceptional drought -- the most intense of the four categories of drought. At the same time, the area of "extreme drought," the next most intense category, spread eastward to Mecklenburg and now affects 28 counties.

Today's report comes as no surprise. State officials said earlier this week that North Carolina is unlikely to pull out of the drought anytime soon, barring an immediate and widespread deluge of rain.

Gov. Mike Easley today directed state agencies in all counties to stop nonessential use of water. He also urged all residents to cut water consumption by 20 percent.

"Stream flows and groundwater levels are approaching their lowest levels in recorded history and many of our reservoirs are declining by one foot every 10 days," Easley said in a statement. "We all must conserve if we are to, in any way, minimize the impact of the drought."

The Drought Monitor considered data as of 7 a.m. Tuesday. Some places have received scattered rainfall since then -- including storms that moved quickly through parts of the Triangle this morning and slowed the morning commute for many.

At Raleigh-Durham International Airport, rainfall totaled one-half inch this morning -- not enough for major improvement.

On average, North Carolina communities have received between 50 percent and 75 percent of the normal rainfall for this time of year, according to Easley's office. Of the state's 597 public water systems, 130 have instituted water restrictions due to drought, seasonal programs or for other reasons. We'd like to hear how the drought is affecting you. What are you doing to save water? Do you think you're doing enough? Are you worried about the drought? Let us know by contacting staff writer Sarah Lindenfeld Hall at slindenf@newsobserver.com or 829-4882.