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23

primary counties with USDA Drought Disaster Designations, according to the USDA Farm Service Agency

Change of
0
0

South Carolina residents in areas of drought, according to the Drought Monitor

Change of
100%
since last week
13th

wettest August on record (since 1895)

8.23 in.
total precipitation
Increase of
2.95 in.
from normal
20th

wettest January—August on record (since 1895)

40.14 in.
total precipitation
Increase of
5.71 in.
from normal
Current South Carolina Drought Maps

Drought & Dryness Categories
% of SC
28.9
33.6
10.5
0.0
0.0
44.1
Drought Change Since Last Week
Dry Conditions
Wet Conditions
Dry Conditions
Wet Conditions

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Drought in South Carolina

While drought is usually not the first natural hazard associated with South Carolina, it is a natural part of South Carolina's climate. Shorter-term droughts are more common, like the recent flash drought in the Fall of 2019, which affected agricultural production and increased wildfire potential. However, longer-term droughts can occur, with impacts on water resources and water-related business and tourism, as well as on agricultural production and increased wildfire potential. Some of the most notable long-term droughts recorded in the state's history occurred in 1925–27, 1950–57, 1998–2002, 2007–09, and 2010–13. Learn more about historical drought events in South Carolina

The South Carolina State Climatology Office (SC SCO) is the lead entity for drought monitoring for South Carolina through the South Carolina Drought Response Committee and the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Drought Response Committee is a group of five state agencies and 48 local stakeholders that convenes when conditions warrant. The Drought Response Committee determines drought status at the county level (normal, incipient, moderate, severe, or extreme) and recommends curtailment of non-essential water use. Public water suppliers use these recommendations when enacting drought management plans and response ordinances. The SC SCO also participates in the U.S. Drought Monitor process each week, taking the lead on analyzing data, communicating with partners (including state and federal agencies and neighboring states), and sending recommendations to the Drought Monitor author. Please visit scdrought.com to learn more about drought monitoring and response in South Carolina.

NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) launched the Southeast Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) in 2020, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Southeast DEWS is a network of regional and national partners that share information and coordinate actions to help communities in the region cope with drought. Reach out to Meredith Muth, the Regional Drought Coordinator for this region, for more information, or sign up for the Southeast DEWS newsletter.

South Carolina State Drought Resources

South Carolina Current Conditions

A number of physical indicators are important for monitoring drought, such as precipitation & temperature, water supply (e.g., streamflow, reservoirs), and soil moisture. Learn more about monitoring drought.

South Carolina Precipitation Conditions

Inches of Precipitation
Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)
100%
Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)
100%

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South Carolina Temperature Conditions

Maximum Temperature (°F)
60
Departure from Normal Max Temperature (°F)
0
Departure from Normal Max Temperature (°F)
0

Not Updated
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South Carolina Streamflow Conditions

Streamflow Conditions
Streamflow Conditions
Streamflow Conditions

South Carolina Soil Moisture Conditions

0–100 cm Soil Moisture Percentile
70
100
Soil Moisture Anomaly
0%

Not Updated
Not Updated

Outlooks & Forecasts for South Carolina

Predicting drought in South Carolina depends on the ability to forecast precipitation and temperature within the context of complex climate interactions. View more outlooks & forecasts.

Future Precipitation & Temperature Conditions

Predicted Inches of Precipitation
1.75
Probability of Below-Normal Precipitation
100%
Probability of Above-Normal Precipitation
100%
Probability of Below-Normal Temperatures
100%
Probability of Above-Normal Temperatures
100%

Drought Outlooks for South Carolina

Drought Is Predicted To...
Drought Is Predicted To...

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Historical Drought Conditions in South Carolina

Drought is a normal climate pattern that has occurred in varying degrees of length, severity, and size throughout history. Below, you can look back at past drought conditions for South Carolina according to 3 historical drought indices. The U.S. Drought Monitor is a weekly map that shows the location and intensity of drought across the country since 2000. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is a monthly depiction of drought based on precipitation (with data going back to 1895). And the paleoclimate data uses tree-ring reconstructions to estimate drought conditions before we had widespread instrumental records, going back to the year 0 for some parts of the U.S. View more historical conditions.

U.S. Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor (2000–present) depicts the location and intensity of drought across the country. Every Thursday, authors from NOAA, USDA, and the National Drought Mitigation Center produce a new map based on their assessments of the best available data and input from local observers. The map uses five categories: Abnormally Dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought (D1–D4). Learn more.

Drought Reources for South Carolina

Stay Informed: Local Drought Updates

Drought Alert Emails
Get email updates when U.S. Drought Monitor conditions change for your location or a new drought outlook is released.

Southeast DEWS Drought Email List
Get regional drought status updates right to your inbox, as well as drought news, webinars, and other events for the Southeast.

Southeast Climate Monthly Webinars
This webinar series provides the Southeast region with timely information on current and developing climate conditions, such as drought, floods, and tropical storms, as well as climatic events like El Niño and La Niña. 

Get Involved: Submit Local Drought Impacts

Drought in your area? Tell us how drought is impacting your community by submitting a condition monitoring report. Your submissions help us better understand how drought is affecting local conditions.