Although South Carolina got a smattering of rain April 30, it wasn’t enough to make a dent in the state’s historic dry spell.
It also didn’t alleviate concerns of the S.C. Drought Committee whose members voted unanimously to upgrade conditions in all four regions of the state from “moderate” to “severe.”
That said, the modest rainfall plus increased humidity and lack of strong winds convinced the state’s Forestry Commission to lift the burning ban for all counties in the state, starting at 7 a.m. May 1.
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“Though we expect even more rain across more of the state in the next week, people who choose to burn outdoors should still exercise vigilance as the rain we have received has not changed the state’s drought status,” said commission Fire Chief Darryl Jones.
The state Drought Committee operates on a four-level scale of severity and it’s methods differ slightly from the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is a national measurement with five levels.
Parts of Jasper, Beaufort and Colleton counties are now in an “exceptional drought,” according to the Drought Monitor, with the rest of the state experiencing extreme or severe drought conditions.
Current conditions
The rain that fell early April 30 was minimal. By 9 a.m., just .02 inches was recorded in Charleston, with parts of the Upstate receiving up to .81 inches.
“Not enough, but certainly welcome for sure,” Hope Mizzell, state climatologist, said at the Drought Committee meeting.
A little more fell in some places that afternoon.
It has been an historically warm and dry period for the state, with much of South Carolina often seeing above-normal temperatures so far this year.
The last time rainfall numbers were near normal in the state was August. The period from November 2025 through January 2026 saw the third-lowest statewide rainfall amounts in 131 years.
Mizzell said she would be shocked if this April wasn’t at least the second driest on record.