North Carolina
Drought Management Advisory Council

Current Conditions

as of May 13, 2025 at 8am ET

US Drought Monitor of
North Carolina

Drought Classifications

D0 - Abnormally Dry
D1 - Moderate Drought
D2 - Severe Drought
D3 - Extreme Drought
D4 - Exceptional Drought

The Current Drought Explainer was released on May 15, 2025.

North Carolina Drought Advisory

The North Carolina Drought Advisory issued by the Drought Management Advisory Council has been updated to reflect drought conditions on May 13, 2025 indicated on the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor of North Carolina.

Until further notice, the NC DMAC strongly urges the implementation of the following drought response actions - in addition to previous advisories - for all water users located in or dependent on water resources from the areas of the state experiencing the following drought conditions:

D2

  • Implement Water Shortage Response Plans, if not already enacted.
  • Stay informed on drought conditions and advisories at ncdrought.org.
  • Participate, as appropriate, in regional and local coordination for the management of water resources.
  • Reexamine water delivery systems to minimize water loss and maximize water use efficiency.
  • Eliminate nonessential uses of water.
  • Evaluate the feasibility of incorporating water reuse, reclamation and/or recycling into daily operations.
  • Seek to reduce water usage by, at least, the same percentage as the percent differential between normal seasonal water supply availability and the actual water supply availability resulting from current drought conditions.
  • Increase public awareness and educational outreach programs emphasizing the need to conserve water.

D1

  • Adhere to local water use restrictions.
  • Participate, as appropriate, in regional and local coordination for the management of water resources.
  • Stay informed on drought conditions and advisories at ncdrought.org.
  • Project water needs and available water supply for a ninety day period from the issuance of this advisory.
  • Assess your vulnerability to the drought conditions and adjust water usage to prolong available supply.
  • Inspect water delivery system components (e.g. irrigation lines, fixtures, processing equipment, water system lines, etc.), repair leaks and ensure that existing equipment is operating as efficiently as possible.
  • Minimize nonessential uses of water.
  • Implement available public awareness and educational outreach programs emphasizing the need to conserve water.

D0

  • Review and be prepared to implement your Water Shortage Response Plans at the appropriate time.
  • Participate, as appropriate, in regional and local coordination for the management of water resources.
  • Stay informed on drought conditions and advisories at ncdrought.org.

County Drought Classification

If the US Drought Monitor of NC shows more than one drought designation in a county, the drought intensity classification for each county published by the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council is the highest drought designation that applies to at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the land area of a county.

Example Impacts by USDM Category

Category Examples of historically observed impacts
D0
Lawns are brown
Pastures are dry; mild crop stress is noted; irrigation increases
D1
Crop stress increases
Hay production is reduced; producers feed hay to cattle early
Increased signs of wildlife; trees and landscape are drought stressed
Streamflow is reduced; lake and reservoirs levels decline
Voluntary water conservation begins
Wildfire danger is higher than the seasonal normal
D2
Dryland crop yields are low
Swimming areas and boat ramps begin to close
Voluntary and mandatory water use restrictions are implemented, people are asked to refrain from nonessential water use
Wildfires are difficult to extinguish
D3
Aquatic wildlife is dying; fewer trout are stocked
Hay is scarce, producers are purchasing outside of state; nitrate levels in forage are high
Hydropower generation decreases
Landscaping and greenhouse businesses lose revenue
Outdoor burn bans are implemented; wildfires are widespread
Voluntary conservation is requested even in sufficient water level areas; mandatory restrictions become more severe and fines are given to violators; stream levels are extremely low
D4
Daily life is affected for all citizens; people pray for rain; drought education seminars increase
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease is widespread in deer
Producers sell cattle; hay shortages and crop loss occur; farmers are stressed
Reservoirs are low; officials are counting the days of remaining water supply; well water is low; residents are hauling water

D2

  • Washington

Total: 1

D1

  • Beaufort
  • Camden
  • Chowan
  • Columbus
  • Craven
  • Currituck
  • Dare
  • Hyde
  • Martin
  • New Hanover
  • Onslow
  • Pamlico
  • Pasquotank
  • Pender
  • Perquimans
  • Tyrrell

Total: 16

D0

  • Alamance
  • Alexander
  • Alleghany
  • Anson
  • Ashe
  • Avery
  • Bertie
  • Bladen
  • Brunswick
  • Burke
  • Cabarrus
  • Caldwell
  • Carteret
  • Caswell
  • Catawba
  • Cleveland
  • Davidson
  • Davie
  • Duplin
  • Edgecombe
  • Forsyth
  • Gaston
  • Gates
  • Greene
  • Guilford
  • Iredell
  • Jones
  • Lenoir
  • Lincoln
  • Mecklenburg
  • Mitchell
  • Montgomery
  • Pitt
  • Randolph
  • Rockingham
  • Rowan
  • Rutherford
  • Sampson
  • Stanly
  • Stokes
  • Surry
  • Union
  • Watauga
  • Wayne
  • Wilkes
  • Wilson
  • Yadkin

Total: 47