Rain Helps, But Drought Continues Across North Carolina

Governor Stein urges conservation as reservoirs remain below normal levels after months of dry weather.

Recent rainfall has improved drought conditions across parts of North Carolina, but state officials say many communities are still recovering from nearly a year of below-normal precipitation and should continue conserving water.

Gov. Josh Stein and North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson provided an update Thursday on drought conditions, warning that wetter weather in recent weeks does not mean the state has fully recovered.

“After a dry fall in 2025, North Carolina had a very dry start to 2026,” Stein said. “Although recent rainfall has made a dent in the problem, we’re not in the clear yet. I encourage North Carolinians to check their local water system’s conservation status and do their part to use water wisely.”

Officials said rainfall during July and significant precipitation over the past week have helped improve conditions, especially in central and northeastern North Carolina. However, many reservoirs remain below their typical levels for this time of year.

“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,” Wilson said. “Everyone has a part to play in conserving water to ensure that we have sufficient clean water supplies to support our families and our economy.”

Klaus Albertin, chair of the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council, said the state’s dry weather pattern appears to be shifting but warned recovery will take time.

“The pattern of drier weather that we’ve seen since last August seems to have finally shifted,” Albertin said. “We still have drought across the state, but most impacts are long term and will just take time and slightly above normal rain to improve.”

According to state officials, the extended drought pushed some water supplies to record lows. Streamflows have improved and are now near normal in most areas, but groundwater levels remain below normal and will recover more slowly.

Several reservoirs have benefited from recent rainfall but remain below seasonal averages. Kerr Lake stabilized but did not increase and remains below its typical pool level. State officials are reminding residents to check with their local water provider for possible restrictions. Currently, 70 water systems across North Carolina are under mandatory conservation measures, while 68 systems have voluntary conservation requests in place.

Communities experiencing extreme or exceptional drought conditions are required to follow their Water Shortage Response Plans and report water use and conservation efforts to the state.

Residents can help by limiting outdoor watering, repairing leaks, running dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads, and avoiding unnecessary water use such as washing cars or using hoses to clean driveways.

For homeowners with private wells, state officials recommend watching for warning signs such as pumps cycling when no water is being used or muddy-looking tap water, which can indicate declining groundwater levels.

North Carolina’s Drought Management Advisory Council evaluates drought conditions each week using environmental, agricultural, and water supply data. The council includes experts from state agencies and neighboring states and provides recommendations used in the federal U.S. Drought Monitor.

Officials say residents can check current drought conditions and local conservation information through the state’s drought website.