Nearly half of North Carolina is experiencing a moderate drought, and in the coastal plains region, those exceptionally dry conditions have persisted since early October. But despite snow over the weekend, the region’s environmental experts worry about an increased risk of wildfires and parched soil come springtime.
According to Klaus Albertin, chair of the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council, there is a bright spot: At least the arid conditions are happening during this time of year. Residents are less likely to water lawns and gardens and farmers aren’t necessarily praying for rain like they were over the summer. Cold temperatures also help stabilize things — vegetation isn’t as thirsty.
Last week, parts of Eastern North Carolina got an inch of moisture, frozen and not. This likely won’t be enough to pull the region out of its drought, but might prevent things from getting worse.
Still, some find that the conditions are concerning.
In the Wilmington area, rainfall levels are nearly 9 inches below normal for the last three months.
The water level in Wayne County’s Grantham Well — one of the state’s major drought indicators — is remarkably shallow, pointing to a depletion of groundwater.
Stream levels are hitting record lows.
And farmers are reporting dry and brittle winter wheat in the fields.
“The coast is just continually not getting as much rain as they should be for each month,” Albertin told Carolina Public Press. “It’s more of a drawn-out drought versus those real short, extreme dry periods we had last year.”
Drought can lead to bitter harvest
Last summer’s drought left Eastern North Carolina farmers reeling, with corn crop losses in the millions of dollars.
Winter typically brings the rainfall that allows the water table and soil conditions to moisten before temperatures rise in the spring.
But northeastern counties largely missed out on the rain that Tropical Storm Debby and a mid-September cyclone dumped on the region in early fall. They have been dry since June, with some coastal towns implementing intermittent water restrictions.
“We would like to be seeing a recharge here instead of more depletion,” said Corey Davis, a drought expert at the State Climate Office. “Some of these areas right along the coastline have these heavily-organic soils, which are really sensitive to dryness. A dry winter like this one raises the possibility of an active spring wildfire season.”
And that’s what happened in spring 2023 when a massive wildfire consumed 32,000 acres in the Croatan National Forest.
More residential developments have cropped up near the forest since then.
Due to the drought, a wildfire this spring could put the growing population near New Bern, Morehead City, and Jacksonville at risk — an area Rondall Hudson, a forest ranger in the district, refers to as the "Croatan fireshed." Hudson is monitoring the drought closely, hoping the forest's swamps get replenished with water before spring.
“Those swamps are a lot drier than normal,” Hudson told CPP. “They have a lot of volatile fuel in them, and we really don’t want those lighting off.”
Wet and mild
Complicating matters, extension agents across Eastern North Carolina in counties like Pender and Dare say wetlands are looking dry — a sign of increased flammability and loss of habitat.
“We've still got a couple months left in the winter,” Davis said. “Hopefully, we'll get some more rain and moisture here … and at least get a reset by the time we get to the spring.”
Currently, low stream and river levels coupled with cold temperatures are creating harsh conditions for North Carolina’s fish and other wildlife. Vann Stancil, a research coordinator at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said that’s affecting winter-breeding amphibians such as frogs and salamanders.
“If you have a couple winters like this one in a row,” he said, “you can really start seeing an impact on the population of some species.”
This article first appeared on Carolina Public Press and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.