COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources continues to evaluate drought levels across the state as conditions seem to grow more severe in multiple counties.
The South Carolina Drought Response Committee (DRC) met on Wednesday, July 8, to evaluate current drought conditions. According to the S.C. Drought Response Act, there are four levels of a drought: incipient, moderate, severe, and extreme.
The DRC said that as of July 8, 10 counties are under moderate drought status (Abbeville, Anderson, Greenwood, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Richland, Saluda, and Union). Edgefield county was upgraded from a moderate drought status to severe. Every other county in the state currently remains under a severe drought status.
There are also concerns that parts of South Carolina may reach extreme status this summer due to the persistent pattern of below-normal rainfall and extreme heat. According to the DRC, no locations in South Carolina have reached extreme drought status since February 2009.
Officials said statewide rainfall has been below normal for eight of the past ten months, with the only months with normal to above normal normal rainfall listed as October 2025 and May 2026. A few isolated locations have received normal rainfall since June 1, however the range has highly varied even within individual counties…