Further Information on
Drought Response in Our State from My Press Release of January 24,
2008
Sobering News and Optimism
North Carolina farmers and agricultural businesses have lost an
estimated $500 million because of the drought, including losses in
soybeans, corn, pasture, silage, green industry, cotton, peanut,
tobacco, wheat, fruits and vegetables.
Ryan Boyles, the state climatologist and director of the State
Climate Office at North Carolina State University, said the state
would need 22 inches to 30 inches over the next six months to make a
substantial drought recovery. That’s at least 2 inches above normal
at a time when weather patterns show there is a high likelihood of
below-normal precipitation through winter and spring.
Despite all of the sobering news the committee received about the
drought, there continues to be optimism. The State Climate Office
reported that ground moisture levels remain good and that if the
state gets the right amount of rain in late spring, we may have
better crop yields in 2008 even if the drought continues into
spring. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has
several programs ready to help agriculture businesses affected by
the drought. These include a toll free Hay Hotline and Hay Alert
website, the Ag Partners Hay Relief Program, the Golden Hay Relief
Program, and the Equine Partners Program. The Department remains
concerned about farmers who need water for livestock.
Governor Easley
As early as last spring, as the drought began in the western part
of the state and moved east, Governor Mike Easley began asking water
system managers to enact conservation measures and residents to
conserve.
Since then, he has continued to take strong action to protect the
state’s water supplies. Just before Christmas, he called for public
water systems to change their fee structures to encourage more
conservation. He told the Drought Management Advisory Council that
charging excessive water users significantly higher rates would help
cut water use. He has also asked all water users to reduce
consumption by at least 30 percent and for people in the hardest-hit
communities to cut their use by at least 40 percent.
Just this week, the governor told water system managers from the
state’s 30 most vulnerable communities they need act now to make
sure they will have adequate water for another possibly dry summer.
He called on these communities to establish connections to other
water supplies and to conduct water audits, as well as considering
price changes to reduce use.
To help with this task, the governor has asked the state
Department of Environment and Natural Resources to work with the
threatened communities to quickly identify what money they will need
to get the job done. The department will also dispatch water audit
experts into each of the 30 communities to make sure undue amounts
of water are not being lost to leaks and other structural problems.
After identifying problems, the auditors will recommend ways to
improve the systems.
League of Municipalities
Local officials met recently at the North Carolina League of
Municipalities to discuss possible solutions for drought related
issues. There they learned that 13 water systems in the state have
less than 100 days of water supply and are considered to be at a
crisis level. More than 840,000 people are served by these
systems. An additional 58 systems are at the tier two level.
Although they are not currently in crisis, they could be within the
next few months.
Several agencies still have money available for drought relief.
These include the Rural Center, the North Carolina Department of
Environment and Natural Resources, the Appalachian Regional
Commission, the United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development, and the United States Department of Agriculture. These
groups are preparing a resource sheet to let communities know what
funds are available and the requirements for receiving those funds.
Note: You may also find additional information on
www.ncdrought.org, the Web site for the North Carolina Drought
Management Advisory Council. |
