Even as some communities in the state continue to deal with the aftermath of last fall’s record flooding, all 46 South Carolina counties are now in a drought according to the official State Drought Response Committee. The committee on August, 17, 2016 placed 39 counties in the “Incipient Drought” category, the first stage of drought. Seven counties in the northwest corner of the state are in the “Moderate Drought” category, the second drought stage. They are Abbeville, Anderson, Edgefield, Greenwood, McCormick, Oconee, and Pickens, all located in the Savannah River Basin.
The cause of the drought is pretty simple according to state climatologist Dr. Hope Mizzell. “What has contributed to the drought situation we are in now, is the much above normal temperatures, above normal evaporation, and of course below normal precipitation,” Mizzell said.
Rainfall totals since June 1, 2016 are below normal across the entire state. Mizzell says that some areas in the moderate drought counties are so dry that they are behind the equivalent of an entire month of normal summer rain. She also says counties in the northwest corner of the state (Abbeville, Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens), in all likelihood are going to experience one of the hottest summers on record.
Farmers in the northwestern section of the state are struggling due to the lack of rain and the unusual high temperatures. Pastures used for cattle grazing have been parched for weeks causing ranchers to have to supplement cows’ diets with hay months earlier the normal.
Tom Garrison of Denver Downs Farm in Anderson County said it’s tough when his farm is so dry and others not too far away have been getting summer showers. “ It is absolutely amazing how we’ve missed the rain where we are … it just seems like the rain is just going all the way around us,” Garrison said. He raises cattle and grows hay and corn, but didn’t bother to plant soybeans this year. “We just didn’t have the soil moisture, the seed is still in the bag,” he added
Residents around Lake Keowee and Lake Jocassee in Oconee and Pickens counties are being urged to restrict water used for irrigation as part of a drought plan for the Keowee-Toxaway River basin.
Officials report that August is historically a good month for rain in South Carolina, and that tropical activity in the early fall season can sometimes make-up for a dry summer. As for the long range forecast, Mizzell says a LaNiña in the Pacific Ocean is predicted for this fall, and that typically means below normal precipitation for the southeastern part of the county. According to Mizzell, “If indeed this La Nina develops, and if indeed we do have below normal precipitation continuing into the winter, that’s going to be a major concern.” Because she adds, “ we need the winter rainfall to re-charge our ground water and our surface water.”
The state’s Drought Response Committee is expected to meet again in September, 2016.
This article was updated 8-23-2016 at 3:00 p.m. to include an additional photograph