Drought
Extended period of low rainfall affecting water supply
Latest stories
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Ask the Meteorologist: Who has seen the most beneficial rain, and where is a lot more rain needed?
Recent rainfall has eased the drought conditions for some spots, but many areas still need a lot more. Let's take a look at the latest drought monitor, how recent rain compares to normal, and what some of the rain totals are.
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Ask the Meteorologist: Who has seen the most beneficial rain, and where is a lot more rain needed?
Recent rainfall has eased the drought conditions for some spots, but many areas still need a lot more. Let's take a look at the latest drought monitor, how recent rain compares to normal, and what some of the rain totals are.
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Ask the Meteorologist: How much will the upcoming rain help with August's rain deficit?
We saw lots of rain in July, but we have not seen much rain in August so far. A front is expected to bring some better totals over the next handful of days. Let's break down our expected totals to start the weekend and how much we could see through next week.
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Drought can affect your drinking water long after the rain returns
Rain is improving North Carolina's drought, but experts say changing water quality remains a concern. Here's how utilities are adapting and what private well owners should know.
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Fuquay-Varina lifting water restrictions
Water restrictions in the town of Fuquay-Varina will lift on Aug. 3.
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An end to the long drought in sight? Falls Lake sees more improvement with more rain ahead
Falls Lake continued to rise for another week, and the U.S. Drought Monitor reported the nearly year-long drought may soon end for most of North Carolina should anticipated rainfall totals pan out.
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Ask the Meteorologist: How have we been able to see so much rain without a tropical system?
Raleigh has seen its second-wettest July on record, and we've seen all that without a landfalling tropical system. How?
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Falls Lake sees major water level improvements after last week's rain
Visibly, the lake is looking much better than it was earlier this month. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the lake rose more than 2 feet over the past week alone, but more rain will be needed to eliminate the remaining deficit.
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Ask the Meteorologist: How much more rain do we need now to get out of this drought?
Any time we get some beneficial rain, it is good to embrace the win but also put the rain into perspective. We still need a lot of rain to pull us out of the drought. Let's break down how much rain we have seen so far this month and how much we need to break the drought in a one month period.
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Drought and downpours: Why Raleigh is preparing for flash flooding
After months of drought, the City of Raleigh will monitor conditions through the week as flash flooding becomes a concern.
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Falls Lake rises another 1% as recent rainfall boosts water levels
Falls Lake continues to recover as recent rainfall pushes the reservoir to 66% full. While the region remains in a drought, the lake has gained four percentage points over the past two weeks.
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Drought status: Recent rain provides decent drought relief in eastern half of NC
Several areas in the eastern half of the state improved slightly thanks to recent rain, but extreme drought persists widely across central and eastern North Carolina.
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Drought status: Recent rain provides decent drought relief in eastern half of NC
Several areas in the eastern half of the state improved slightly thanks to recent rain, but extreme drought persists widely across central and eastern North Carolina.
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Heat and drought worry local farmers
Recent rainfall has brought some relief to farmers in the area, but prolonged dry conditions and an ongoing heat wave are raising significant concerns. At the State Farmers Market, vendors report slower business this summer compared to previous years, largely due to customers cutting back on plant purchases in response to water restrictions.
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Farmers and growers say tough decisions could be ahead if drought doesn't improve
North Carolina farmers are feeling the effects of the months-long stretch of dry conditions and are having to make some changes to how they grow and sell their produce.
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Raleigh water supply sees slight improvement
Recent rainfall has provided a small boost to Raleigh's water supply, as Falls Lake water levels rise for the first time in months. However, extreme drought conditions persist with water levels still markedly below target.
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Falls Lake rises with recent rain
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Falls Lake's supply pool rose from 62% to 65% after the dam recorded 2.9 inches of rain over the past week.
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Drought conditions make hot weather even hotter
While the lack of rainfall is an obvious part of North Carolina's ongoing drought, there's another side effect that many people don't realize. Drought conditions can make hot weather even hotter.
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NC State scientists solve mystery behind beetle damaging North Carolina blueberry farms
NC State researchers identified the beetle damaging blueberry farms across North Carolina, a discovery that could help growers better detect and manage the emerging pest.
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Farmers react to 'drops from heaven' and a new law to help mitigate drought
Farmers weigh in on whether this week's rain has had an impact on produce you could see at the store and how they feel about the Farm Act signed into law last week.
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City of Raleigh says nearly half of customers are using too much water
According to Raleigh Water, 46% of outdoor irrigation meters checked in Raleigh over a five-day period were in violation of water conservancy rules, prompting discussion about stricter limits.
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City of Raleigh says nearly half of customers are using too much water
According to Raleigh Water, 46% of outdoor irrigation meters checked in Raleigh over a five-day period were in violation of water conservancy rules, prompting discussion about stricter limits.
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Extreme drought remains despite recent rain
Recent rainfall has caused improvements in lake levels, yet these changes are not sufficient to mitigate the overall drought crisis. Locations like Jordan Lake and Falls Lake have recorded increments of water level improvements, though they are still far from normal levels.
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NC drought: Water level at Falls Lake is rising slowly but remains far lower than normal
The water level at Falls Lake is rising after recent rainfall, but it's still much lower than its normal level as extreme drought conditions persist in central North Carolina.
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Raleigh considers more water restrictions, limits on lawn watering
The Raleigh City Council approved changes that will allow the city to not only move to Stage 2 water restrictions earlier than previously planned but to also modify the plan as well. The change comes after conservation efforts over the past few months failed to reduce water use enough.
