Businesses impacted by the recent statewide drought are now eligible for federal aid.
The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council releases updated conditions every Thursday. This week, western and some central parts of the state moved from moderate drought to abnormally dry conditions, including Rutherford and Rowan counties.
Beginning in March 2027, the U.S. Small Business Administration will offer low-interest loans for small businesses, private nonprofits, faith-based organizations and small agricultural entities impacted by the drought.
This Week's Map
July was the hottest month on record in the United States. Raleigh is now 4.9 degrees warmer on average than it was 50 years ago, according to research group Climate Central.
In North Carolina, much of the state saw relief due to continued summer showers. Some Western and Central parts of the state moved down a classification, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Previous Weeks
August 4
This week, southern parts of the state, including Duplin and Sampson counties, moved from extreme drought to severe drought. The majority of the state still faced a classification of moderate drought or higher. 29% remained classified under severe drought or worse.
Throughout the state, officials' reactions to recent rainfall were mixed.
In the Triangle, Raleigh and Fuquay-Varina lifted their restrictions, while in the Piedmont, Burlington continued to keep its stage one water restrictions in place. In the northeast, Rocky Mount eased water restrictions from mandatory stage one to voluntary stage two over the weekend.
Durham officials said they were not lifting water restrictions yet. James Lim, water efficiency and conservation program manager for the City of Durham, said total water supply has not hit the trigger to leave stage two water restrictions yet.
Durham would need a significant amount of rain to lift restrictions, he said.
July 28
Raleigh officials said they will lift stage one water restrictions on Aug. 2. The restrictions were in place since April, but recent precipitation had aided water levels in places like Falls Lake.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Falls Lake rose by more than two feet this week. Jordan Lake increased about three feet since last week, and according to the City of Durham, Lake Michie was up by five feet. Despite the rising water levels, all three water bodies were still well below what officials normally see.
On Thursday, Governor Josh Stein said in a press release that after a dry fall last year, North Carolina also had a very dry start to 2026.
"Although recent rainfall has made a dent in the problem, we're not in the clear yet," Governor Josh Stein said. "I encourage North Carolinians to check their local water system’s conservation status and do their part to use water wisely."
"It may seem odd to talk about drought and continued water conservation after days of very wet weather, but we need to make up for months of extremely dry conditions," DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson said in the same press release.
July 21
Summer storms continued in North Carolina, though still not enough to end the state's drought.
This week, Alamance, Orange, Caswell, Person, Durham and Granville counties all moved down a classification, from exceptional to extreme drought.
Guilford, Rockingham, Brunswick and Columbus counties remained in exceptional drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, an estimated 58,098 people were living in areas affected by drought conditions.
July 14
10% of N.C. counties in the extreme drought category moved to a lower classification.
Seven central North Carolina counties remained in exceptional drought, including Orange and Durham counties. Brunswick County near Wilmington also remained exceptionally dry.
Local storms brought rain, but the Drought Management Advisory Council said this week should be treated with cautious optimism. Rain was very hit-or-miss, and it didn't go far enough to end this entrenched drought.
In some places, rain returned in amounts not seen in months, or even years. Smithfield in Johnston County had four inches of rain last Sunday, its highest daily total since August 2020.
July 7
Brunswick County was now in exceptional drought. One community in the county recorded having its driest year since 1973, with only 44% of its normal precipitation falling at that point in the year.
While there were some occasional summer thunderstorms throughout the state over the last week, the rain was hit or miss. Falls Lake in Raleigh rose six inches, and five more counties joined the extreme drought category.
Despite Stage One restrictions already in place, Raleigh Water users consumed more water in April, May and June of this year than in 2025.
On July 7, the Raleigh City Council authorized the city manager to enter into Stage Two restrictions sooner than what existing rules call for.
June 30
Wake County was in extreme drought, along with 40 other counties. Durham and Orange counties remained in exceptional drought, and the majority of the state was still in extreme to severe drought.
Evaporation rates were high because of the ongoing heat wave, making it harder for rain to replenish water sources.
June 23
The area of North Carolina classified as Exceptional Drought remained about the same as the week before. Much of the Triangle remained within the Exceptional Drought range, especially Durham and Orange counties.
Areas classified as Extreme Drought continued to cover about half of the state.
June 16
For the week of June 16, the area of North Carolina classified as Exceptional Drought increased and spread to cover much of the Triangle, especially Durham and Orange counties.
Areas classified as Extreme Drought covered about half of all of the state.
June 9
Most of Durham, Orange, and Alamance counties were now facing exceptional drought — the most severe category.
Stage 2 Water restrictions went into effect for the city of Durham. To the south, streamflows on the Neuse River hit record lows.
June 2
For the week of June 2, extreme drought levels had already crept across much of the northern parts of the Triangle.
May Maps
The remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur could bring an inch of rain this weekend. But the state Drought Management Advisory Council says that's not nearly enough to relieve weeks of hot, dry weather.
Lightning strikes and low humidity have led to more wildfires across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
Crops all over the state are wilting or stunted due to the lack of rain.
Like the U.S. Drought Monitor, the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council uses five classifications to identify drought conditions: D0 (abnormally dry), D1 (moderate drought), D2 (severe drought), D3 (extreme drought), and D4 (exceptional drought).
The council monitors conditions and reviews its findings to issue official advisories and recommendations. According to the state advisory council, conditions include:
- D0: Browning of lawns and mild crop stress.
- D1: Reduced streamflow and hay production.
- D2: Closing swimming areas and boat ramps.
- D3: Outdoor burn bans.
- D4: Affect on daily life for all citizens, officials begin to count the number of remaining days of water supply.
You can read the full list of impacts and see what classification your county is listed under, if listed at all, here.
In comparison to the first week of May this year, this is what North Carolina's drought status looked like around the same time last year:
May 2025
According to the Department of Environmental Quality, the public should check with their local water supply system for information about water use restrictions.
You can find a comprehensive list of indoor and outdoor tips, as well as statewide links to current information about drought conditions, here.
Additional reporting was contributed by Neal Charnoff, Zachary Turner, Will Michaels, Bradley George, Jay Price, Reyna Drake, Sharryse Piggott and Celeste Guajardo.
