Lancashire Country Sees Unprecedented Drought

In an unprecedented event, Lancaster County has become part of severe drought conditions that are sweeping across eastern South Carolina, as per the information shared by the state’s top climatologist. York and Chester counties are just a notch behind. Prior to the Tuesday conference call held by the South Carolina Drought Response Committee, all 46 counties were reported as having ‘normal’ drought conditions. Following the conference call, every single county was escalated to some level of drought.

The Severity Scale of Drought

Among these, York and Chester counties are two of twelve counties that are listed as being ‘incipient’ i.e., they fall in the first of the four severity levels of drought. Further, 19 more counties find themselves at the moderate level of drought, marking the second level on the severity index. A significant area comprising of 15 counties extending from the midpoint of South Carolina to its eastern beaches and the North Carolina state line, now find themselves directly at level three, or severe drought. Lancaster County is part of this group facing severe drought. It is alarming to note that only an extreme drought listing could be worse than the current conditions.

An Unusual Drought Shift

The shift of counties from no drought to severe drought is an unprecedented event, the likes of which haven’t transpired before. This information was shared in the news release post the Tuesday call by state climatologist, Hope Mizzell. She remarked, “The rain stopped and the thermostat soared.” Highlighting the unusual weather patterns, she pointed out how following a wet winter and spring, the climate drastically changed come June.

Consequence on Different Sectors

The drought group has listed crop, livestock, stream flow and wildfire risk impacts due to the ongoing heat wave and arid conditions. Most parts of the state received less than 2.5 inches of rain since early June, a fact made worse by the soaring triple-digit temperatures. Consequently, corn crops are stressed or lost altogether, soybean planting has been delayed and grass feed for cattle has dwindled.

Wildfire Cases on the Rise

The weather conditions have led to a drastic increase in wildfire cases. According to the South Carolina Forestry Commission, since the first of June, more than 200 wildfires have taken place, burning over 1,200 acres. This is a marked increase of 77% in fire cases and a whopping 214% increase in burnt acreage relative to the state’s 10-year average for the same time period. Concurrently, water flow in the streams has decreased statewide, with the Little Pee Dee and Black rivers nearing critically low levels, according to reports by the drought group.

Reservoir Levels and Drought Response

On the positive side, larger reservoirs have not seen a significant drop due to the higher levels of rain earlier in the year. That said, when drought conditions are upgraded, they can trigger water conservation measures across the region. As a response to the situation, Duke Energy, which has a system of 11 reservoirs in the Catawba River basin for drought response, is working to even out water levels by varying flow releases. It is also coordinating conservation efforts with the municipalities that draw water.

Consequences on Water Bodies

The dry spells have led to the lowering of water levels in Lakes James, Norman and Wylie, as noted in the statement released by Duke Energy on July 1. Lake Wylie, which had topped its target level during spring, has been sitting at its target level, but dipped between a couple of inches and half a foot below that target since June 21. Similarly, Lake Norman has been a foot beneath its target level, and Lake James sits a foot below its target level.

Action Plan

The drought committee in South Carolina has urged all water systems statewide to review their drought response plans and implement them as needed. Condition of these areas will be reevaluated on July 24. In cases where drought conditions call for water cutbacks that can impact irrigation, washing cars or similar activities, the municipal water providers will directly communicate with the customers about the restrictions and steps to be taken.