For the Piedmont section of South Carolina, the hot, dry summer has become the warm and even drier fall. Much of the Upstate is in a prolonged drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, counties in the northwestern area of the state are actually in a severe or extreme drought brought on by almost no appreciable rain, and above average temperature for months.
State officials are concerned about the dry conditions. Firefighters have been working for days to contain a wildfire which has burned more than 2,500 acres on Pinnacle Mountain in Pickens County.
Another sign of the drought is the reduced water flow levels being recorded on Upstate rivers and streams. The National Weather Service says some rivers in the area have reached record low stream flows.
