Drought disaster declarations in South Carolina provide aid to farmers

Although many parts of the Carolinas received rain the past couple of days, this doesn't erase the crop damages and losses that farmers in South Carolina incurred from drought during the summer growing season. In early September, The State newspaper reports that 35 South Carolina counties have been declared as natural disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) due to drought, making these areas eligible for disaster relief funds. Many farmers have crop insurance that they purchase for protection for unanticipated losses and damages from disasters, but the drought disaster declaration also makes them eligible to apply for low-interest loans from the USDA Farm Service Agency if they need more assistance. Additionally, counties next to those where drought disaster declarations have been made also qualify for assistance, making counties in North Carolina and Georgia also eligible for aid. According to a Clemson University media release, crops that experienced damage include corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, and peanuts, which mostly occurred due to the extremely high temperatures and isolated rainfall events this summer. Clemson extension specialists also warn that despite forecasts of more rainfall during the winter and spring due to El Niño, which will potentially alleviate the drought, farmers might now be at risk of additional losses due to the excessive rainfall.

The USDA provides relief to farmers, but many of us also have backyard gardens where we grow our own produce and plants that suffered as well. Some of our observers report plant stress by describing how much they irrigate their plants or whether the plants have been wilting or producing fruit later in their condition monitoring reports. As the weather changes this fall, please continue to describe the condition of your plants in your observations, which helps decision makers, such as the state drought management committees, monitor whether plants have been recovering or remain stressed from dry conditions.
 

Devastated corn crops in South Carolina.  

Source: Clemson University Media Release. 

Image Credit: David DeWitt / Clemson University

Have you read the September 2015 newsletter?

If you haven't received a copy of the September 2015 Newsletter, check it out here. This month's newsletter provides an update on Phase 2 of the CoCoRaHS Condition Monitoring Project, and we are looking for your feedback as we consider how to improve the reporting process and ways to display your reports through an interactive web map. Additionally, this month's newsletter includes an article on flash drought and a drought update for the Carolinas based on the U.S. Drought Monitor for last week. We also highlight Richard Figlar as our Condition Monitoring Star of the Month and share some of his reports from August.

Feel free to send us any comments or questions that you might have, or if you would like to be added to the newsletter email list.

Help document upcoming King Tides in South Carolina!

Do you live on the South Carolina Coast or are planning a trip during August 28 - September 2? If yes, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) needs your help to capture photos for the South Carolina King Tides initiative!

Every year, coastal areas of South Carolina experience “King Tides,” which refers to a seasonally high tide that occurs when the moon is close to the earth during its orbit. According to SC DHEC, King Tides may cause noticeable impacts such as flooding in low-lying areas and coastal erosion, especially if a heavy precipitation event occurs during the King Tide. The South Carolina King Tides Initiative helps SC DHEC document and better understand the types of impacts these extreme tides have on the state. The initiative also raises public awareness of the impacts of coastal hazards.

Based on the tide charts, the next King Tide event in South Carolina will occur from August 28^th through September 2. If you would like to participate and submit photos documenting King Tides, visit MyCoast: SouthCarolina to download the MyCoast: South Carolina app for your smartphone or tablet to upload photos. For more information, please visit SC DHEC’s information page.

Above: Example of a MyCoast submission from a King Tide event last year

Check out the August 2015 Newsletter!

The August 2015 CISA & CoCoRaHS Condition Monitoring Newsletter is hot off the press and ready for you to read! This month we feature articles about increasing dry conditions in the Carolinas, including perspectives from our observers as well as the regular update from the US Drought Monitor. We selected Karen Schuck from Georgia as our Condition Monitoring Star of the Month and showcase some of her condition monitoring reports. Additionally, we provide a recap from the July Observer Conference Call and an article on drought impacts on health , both of which we hope will provide you with some new ideas on topics to include in your reports.

Be sure to check your inbox or here for a copy of the newsletter. As always, keep up the great work and let us know if you have any questions, ideas, or concerns!

Condition Monitoring Reports Help Confirm Drought Conditions In NC

On Thursday, July 30, 2015, Rebecca Cumbie, extension climatologist with the NC State Climate Office, posted this update to the State Climate Office blog discussing the intensification of drought conditions in North Carolina. Rebecca cites observations submitted by CoCoRaHS condition monitoring observers that help support the drought designations.

This is just one more instance where condition monitoring reports have shown their value.

Keep up the great work everyone!

PRESS RELEASE: Continued Hot Weather and Low Rainfall Puts Catawba-Wateree Basin in Stage 1 of Drought Protocol

Photos of  low water levels submitted by CoCoRaHS condition
monitoring observer Christopher Lumpp. 

The below news release was issued today by the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group. Now is the time to take note of dry conditions in your area to keep an eye on how this lack of rainfall and high temperatures are affecting your community. Please share these observations in your condition monitoring reports! Step-by-step instructions for submitting a condition monitoring report can be found here.

"The Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group (CW-DMAG) today announced continued dry weather conditions and above-average temperatures have placed the Catawba-Wateree River Basin in Stage 1 of the Low Inflow Protocol (LIP).

Stage 1 is the second of five drought stages outlined in the LIP and recommends voluntary water conservation by water users across the Basin, in addition to operational adjustments by Duke Energy. The LIP is the drought management plan major water users in the region employ to share responsibility and set priorities to conserve the limited water supply during drought conditions.

“While some areas of the Basin have received scattered rainfall, the lack of widespread precipitation the past several weeks and high temperatures have resulted in increased drought conditions,” said Ed Bruce, P.E., Duke Energy, CW-DMAG coordinator. “We are asking the community to conserve water and energy as we enter the height of the summer season and the typically drier fall period.”

Continued below normal rainfall and very hot temperatures have pushed two of the three LIP drought indicators (triggers) into Stage 1. Water storage in the 11-reservoir Catawba-Wateree Hydroelectric Project continues to decline and streamflows feeding the reservoirs are well below normal. In addition, the U.S. Drought Monitor trigger indicates most of the Basin is experiencing drought conditions.

Earlier this month, the Catawba-Wateree River Basin entered Stage 0 of the LIP which is a drought watch stage and prompted the CW-DMAG to closely monitor conditions.  After observing declining trends in the triggers, the group decided to proactively declare Stage 1 conditions. 

“We wanted to be proactive in making the community aware of increased drought conditions and ask customers to be mindful of water use,” explained Barry McKinnon, Mooresville Public Utilities Director. “The sooner we start conserving, the better for our region as we work together to preserve our shared water resources.”

The CW-DMAG will continue monitoring the drought conditions and work collectively to protect the water supply and other uses of the Catawba-Wateree River.

The Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group (CW-DMAG) was established in 2006 to monitor drought status and to recommend coordinated actions for the CW-DMAG members. CW-DMAG members include the area’s public water suppliers and several large industries withdrawing water from the Catawba-Wateree River and lake system, North Carolina, South Carolina and federal resource agencies and Duke Energy.  The CW-DMAG and the LIP are outcomes of Duke Energy’s relicensing process for the Catawba-Wateree Hydroelectric Project.  The LIP will become part of Duke Energy’s New License which is expected to be issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) later this year. The CW-DMAG meets at least monthly when conditions reach Stage 0 or greater of the LIP. For more information about the CW-DMAG and the LIP, visit www.duke-energy.com/lakes/cwdmag.asp.

If community members have specific questions about recommended measures, they are encouraged to contact their local water supplier." 

A list of local water supplier contacts can be found in the full press release. 

Signs of Drought in the Carolinas

High temperatures and low rainfall during the month of June produced emerging drought conditions in the Carolinas. The South Carolina Drought Response Committee has declared 28 SC counties at the status of incipient drought. Media reports highlight that low levels of rainfall across the Palmetto state have adversely impacted agriculture. Farmers in Orangeburg, SC reported damage to corn crops, forcing some farmers to depend on peanuts and cotton to supplement their losses. Other farmers in Calhoun County face similar challenges with some fields expected to yield as little as 10 percent of normal crop production.

North Carolina is experiencing drought for the first time in two years according to the State Climate Office at N.C. State University. On June 25th the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council updated the status of Mecklenburg and Gaston counties to a moderate drought. NC Climatologist Rebecca Cumbie reports that several locations in the Western Piedmont are below normal rainfall by two inches or more for June. Cumbie also stated that many areas in North Carolina experienced record high mean temperatures during a two week period that ended on June 23rd, which was as much as seven degrees above normal in some areas.


Your condition monitoring reports will prove to be very valuable over the next few weeks and months as we either begin to see more rainfall in the Carolinas to make up for recent deficits or continue to experience dry conditions. Observations of changes you see in your area and impacts to your communities that you include in your condition monitoring reports help to provide on-the-ground information about the onset and intensification of drought and will also help to document recovery from dry conditions if you do get that much needed rain.


So, be sure to take careful note of what's going on around you and submit your condition monitoring reports through the CoCoRaHS website. Click here to view step-by-step instructions for submitting a condition monitoring report. Find additional resources on the condition monitoring project webpage.

Below are a few pictures of dry conditions shared by CoCoRaHS condition monitoring report Melinda Ball from her home in Aiken County, SC.





Dry conditions in Aiken County

Dry conditions in Aiken County