North Carolina needs more than 12 inches of rain to begin recovering from its worsening drought, but the forecast offers little relief, according to WRAL meteorologists.
Parts of Wake County have reached extreme drought as drinking-water reservoirs continue to shrink, raising concerns about water supplies and fire danger.
Here’s what to know
The severe-drought zone also extended farther east. A Nov. 5 drought status report showed 8% of North Carolina in extreme drought, up from 2% in the Oct. 29 update. WRAL meteorologist Grant Skinner noted that the area’s most recent measurable rainfall came on Oct. 17, when it recorded only three-quarters of an inch.
Rain and storms were forecast for Nov. 6, with expected rainfall ranging from one-quarter inch to 1 inch, but WRAL meteorologists said that amount would likely do little to improve conditions.
More background
Falls Lake, the Raleigh area’s primary water source, had dropped to 245.3 feet as of Nov. 5, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That was its lowest level during this drought, putting it more than 6 feet below its water-storage conservation pool, WRAL noted…