Remember all the rain last year? Now parts of North Carolina are in a drought

Parts of eastern North Carolina are in a drought after months of dry weather — a radical shift from the relentless rain that drenched the state last year.

Ten eastern N.C. counties, including New Hanover and Brunswick, are experiencing a “moderate drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Many others are seeing “abnormally dry weather.”

Wilmington has seen less than 11 inches of preciptation since Jan. 1, nearly 8 inches below normal, according to the National Weather Service.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, the North Carolina Forest Service encouraged people to be extra careful when lighting fires or burning debris, as dry conditions can increase the risk of wildfires.

Some areas are also seeing low water levels, including for the Neuse and Cape Fear rivers, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The Neuse River near Clayton in Johnston County has been dropping steadily for the past week and is “much below normal,” according to the survey.

Near Lumberton, the Cape Fear River is also at a level considered “much below normal.”

A prolonged drought can wreak havoc on farmers’ crops, but forecasters are expecting some relief soon. Much of North Carolina could see thunderstorms this weekend, said Kathleen Carroll, a meteorologist with the Raleigh office of the National Weather Service.

“We’re hoping to get a bit of a break,” Carroll told McClatchy.

A subtropical high-pressure system over the Gulf Coast has brought rain to the Midwest while creating a heat wave and dry spell in the Carolinas, Carroll said. (The Midwest has also seen an unusual outbreak of tornadoes.)

Temperatures this week have hovered in the mid- to high-90s in much of North Carolina, with some areas on the coast reaching triple digits.

All this comes after the state had extremely wet weather last year, with some areas setting rainfall records. Wilmington saw about 100 inches of rain in 2018, with much of that falling during Hurricane Florence last September, according to the National Weather Service.

The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council is encouraging “drought response actions” in areas that are dry or in a drought.

In layman’s terms: Don’t waste water.