Rain continues in North Carolina, providing much-needed relief in parts of the state. Still, many weeks' worth of rain is needed to end the ongoing drought.
The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council releases updated conditions every Thursday. This week, northern parts of the state, including Orange County and Alamance County, moved from exceptional drought to extreme drought.
This Week's Map
Summer storms are continuing in North Carolina, though it is still not enough precipitation 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 remain in exceptional drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, an estimated 58,098 people are living in areas affected by drought conditions.
Previous Weeks
July 14
This week, 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 remains 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 is now in exceptional drought. One community in the county is having its driest year since 1973, with only 44% of its normal precipitation falling so far this year.
While there were some occasional summer thunderstorms throughout the state over the past week, the rain was hit or miss. Falls Lake in Raleigh rose six inches, and five more counties joined the extreme drought category this week.
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 is in extreme drought, along with 40 other counties. Durham and Orange counties remain in exceptional drought, and the majority of the state is still in extreme to severe drought.
Evaporation rates are 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 cover about half of all 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 now cover about half of all of the state.
June 9
Most of Durham, Orange, and Alamance counties are now in exceptional drought — the most severe category.
Stage 2 Water restrictions are now in effect for the city of Durham. To the south, streamflows on the Neuse River have 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.
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 state-wide links to current information about drought conditions, here.
Additional reporting was contributed by Bradley George, Jay Price, Reyna Drake and Celeste Guajardo.
