SC Drought Response Committee Discusses State's Drought Conditions

Several counties see their drought status downgraded.

By: Associated Press and Staff reports | News Channel 7
Published: September 16, 2008

The South Carolina Drought Response Committee is met in Greenville to again assess the state's dire drought conditions on Tuesday.

Hope Mizzell, state climatologist, told us the committee maintained extreme drought status in nine Upstate counties, downgraded five counties, maintained severe status for 9 counties and downgraded 12 counties in the Southern Pee Dee Region – 6 were moved to no drought status at all.

Mizzel said they want to encourage those systems and individuals in extreme drought areas to continue to aggressively conserve.

October and November are typically the driest months. Hope says it is so important that water systems keep a close eye on their supplies. She also says that some forecasts call for a dry winter.

Last month, the committee added nine Upstate counties to the extreme drought category. That means about one-fourth of the state is now suffering from extreme drought.

Committee members also decided last month that two counties - Charleston and Georgetown - have had enough rain that they're no longer on the drought list. The rest of the state is in drought
stages ranging from incipient to extreme.