New drought numbers across NC show drought covers nearly half of state

Since August, the rainfall deficit across NC is now more than a foot, and is impacting farms in a big way. For many areas, farmers say they haven't seen a drought like this in over a decade.
Posted 4/23/2026, 11:13:30 PM Updated 4/24/2026, 12:00:10 AM

SATURDAY, 60% SATURDAY NIGHT

ALL OUTLINED WHAT WE COULD SEE

WITH FUTURECAST COMING UP

>> CLIMATE EXPERTS SAID PARTS

OF THE STATE ARE SEEING LEVELS.

THEY HAVE NOT SEEN IN NEARLY

20 YEARS. AND RALEIGH IS OFF TO

ONE OF THE DRIEST STARTS TO

THE YEAR ON RECORD WRAL'S.

CARLY HAYNES IS LIVE IN APEX

AND CARLY. WE JUST HEARD FROM

MIKE AND NO SIGN OF ANY BIG

CHANGES SOON.

THAT'S RIGHT. AND WE'RE

STANDING OFF OF OLD US ONE IN

A PACKED. THIS WAS THE SITE

OF A WILDFIRE ON TUESDAY.

YOU CAN SEE ACROSS THE STREET

SOME OF THAT ASH. HE

>> GROUNDS AS A RESULT OF THAT

WILDFIRE. AND THIS, OF COURSE,

I WAS MADE WORSE BY THE

DROUGHT, NORTH CAROLINA

FORESTRY OFFICIALS TALK ABOUT

HOW THEY'D SEEN AN ABNORMAL

NUMBER OF WILDFIRES SO FAR THIS

YEAR. THAT'S JUST SOME OF THE

NUMBERS THAT WE GOT FROM THE

PANEL THIS MORNING.

>> THOSE ARE YOUR SUMMER WINDS,

HOT TEMPERATURES AND NOT ENOUGH

FOR RAIN AS WELL. SO IN THE

SEATS OF CHALLENGES FOR FARMERS

THAT HE KIND OF RISE AND

EVERYTHING FAST WITH THE HEAT,

YOU HAVE TO DO MORE WATERING TO

COOL DOWN THE PLANTS. DEEJAYS

BERRY FARM DEPENDS ON THE WATER

FROM THIS SINGLE POT FOR ALL

OF THE STRAWBERRIES IN THIS

FIELD. THE WATER LEVEL IS

SEVERAL FEET BELOW WHERE IT

SHOULD BE. WE'VE HAD WATER LOSS

LIKE OUR POND HAS GONE DOWN

SOME BUT NOT TO THIS EXTENT.

A NEW MAP SHOWS NEARLY 40% OF

NORTH CAROLINA IS NOW IN

EXTREME DROUGHT. THIS SORT OF

DROUGHT THAT HAS NOT BEEN ON

THE MAP AND NORTH CAROLINA IN

QUITE A WHILE IN MANY AREAS.

EXTREME DROUGHT BACK IN 2007 IN

2008, WHICH WAS ALMOST 20 YEARS

AGO. A PANEL OF EXPERTS EXPLAIN

THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE WHICH

COULD SOON LOOK MORE DUSTY AND

BROWN.

>> SINCE AUGUST, THE STATE'S

RAINFALL DEFICIT IS NOW

EXCEEDED MORE THAN A FOOT

SPECIALLY. IF YOU'RE GETTING

OUT IN YOUR GARDEN OR IF YOU'RE

A FARMER, PREPARING TO PLAY

YOUR CROPS. AND SO YOU'RE

PROBABLY NOTICING THE SOIL

MOISTURE IS VERY, VERY LOW

RIGHT NOW. AS A RESULT, WATER

RESTRICTIONS HAVE TRICKLED IN

TO PARTS OF OUR AREA. IT MAINLY

AFFECTS YOU WHEN YOU WATER YOUR

LAWNS OR GARDENS. OR WHEN

FARMERS WATER THEIR CROPS.

AND WE TRIED TO LIMIT OUR

WATERING JUST SO THAT WE DON'T

USE ALL THE WATER IN THE POND.

MEANWHILE, DEEJAYS BERRY FARM

IS HOLDING OUT FOR RAIN.

>> AND NOW EXPERTS ALSO SAID

THAT IT MIGHT FEEL LIKE THIS

HAPPENED OVERNIGHT, BUT THIS

IS ACTUALLY BEEN PROGRESSING

OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL

MONTHS WITHOUT ANY TRUE,

SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL EVENT AND

THEN A RELATIVELY QUIET OR

© WRAL