Charlotte exits drought status, NOAA says. Do we still have water restrictions?
Mecklenburg County has officially exited drought status, though the southeastern quarter of the county continues to be categorized as “abnormally dry,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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Surrounding counties have also emerged from drought status, though Union County and portions of Lincoln and Cabarrus counties also remain “abnormally dry,” NOAA says.
Now for the bad news: The status change is not impacting Charlotte’s water restrictions, because the watershed has not fully recovered, according to Jennifer Frost, public affairs manager for Charlotte Water.
Charlotte Water is asking customers to continue following Stage 2 restrictions, including limits on outdoor watering, residential car washing, pool filling and decorative water features.
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“Despite recent heavy rainfall, Mandatory Stage 2 water restrictions remain in effect for Charlotte Water customers because the six-month average streamflow in the Catawba-Wateree River Basin remains below normal,” Frost said in an email to The Charlotte Observer.
“While reservoir levels and drought-monitor conditions have improved, streamflow reflects the area’s prolonged dry period and recovers more slowly after individual rain events.”
Caswell, Halifax, Person and Warren counties along the Virginia state line continue to experience extreme drought conditions, and 28 counties remain in “severe drought” status, state officials said. Most of the hardest hit counties are in the central and eastern parts of the state.
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