Dangerously dry conditions continue here in Columbus County, although some areas have received a little bit of relief.
The State Drought Monitor released Thursday shows most of Columbus in the extreme drought category. The far western portion of the county is listed as suffering from severe drought.
Locally, rainfall deficits from 8 to 12 inches are combining with last year’s shortage to make matters worse. A number of farmers in the county have resorted to irrigating field in hopes that crops will receive enough water during the critical part of the growing season.
Nakina Firefighters, with the assistance of Old Dock and the Forest Service, dealt with a wildfire earlier this week that briefly closed two roads.
Statewide, a number of counties have improved slightly, moving to the moderate category. A total of 67 counties, including Columbus, are completely or partially in the extreme level. Every county in the state has a drought designation as of Thursday’s new data from the state. Several counties in western North Carolina are in the exceptional drought category.
No burn bans are currently in place, but fire officials warn that any burning that can be postponed should be delayed if possible. Always get a burn permit and keep firefighting tools and water close at hand.
Meteorologist Christopher Cawley provides a daily local weather forecast on Columbuscountynews.com as well as his weather page on Facebook.
