More than 4.6 million South Carolinians live in drought-affected areas.<\/p>\n
Meteorologists and drought experts say recent rainfall has improved conditions, but the state remains far from fully recovering from one of its driest stretches on record.<\/p>\n
The spring rains masked how severe the deficit had become.<\/p>\n
South Carolina recorded its driest January-through-April<\/a> period on record, dating back to 1895. It received just 7 inches of precipitation statewide \u2014 more than 8 inches below normal.<\/p>\n State Climatologist Hope Mizzell said the dry conditions extend well beyond 2026.<\/p>\n “We didn’t get into this drought in one month, and we’re not going to get out of it in one month,” Mizzell said.<\/p>\n According to Mizzell, statewide rainfall from September 2025 through April 2026 ranked among the driest periods<\/a> in more than a century. South Carolina experienced a dry fall, a dry winter and an exceptionally dry start to the year before rainfall increased in May.<\/p>\n “The rainfall was exactly what we needed in May,” she said. “But it’s going to take an extended period with above-normal rainfall consistently in order for us to fully recover.”<\/p>\n Recent rain has helped improve conditions across portions of the Upstate.<\/p>\n According to the National Weather Service’s Greenville-Spartanburg office, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport recorded 5 inches of rainfall during May, about 1 inch above normal.<\/p>\n The additional rain helped improve drought classifications across parts of the region. Areas in the southern Upstate improved from extreme drought to moderate drought during the past month.<\/p>\n Even so, Greenville<\/a> and Spartanburg<\/a> counties remain classified as being in severe drought.<\/p>\n Rainfall deficits also remain significant.<\/p>\n As of June 7, Greenville had received 16.4 inches of rainfall this year, compared with a normal total of 21.5 inches \u2014 a deficit of roughly 5.1 inches.<\/p>\n Some counties, including portions of Greenwood, Abbeville and Laurens counties, have recovered much of their rainfall deficit. Other parts of the Upstate continue to lag behind.<\/p>\n Although rainfall improved streamflows and some lake levels, drought impacts persist beneath the surface.<\/p>\n Mizzell said groundwater levels remain well below normal across much of the state. Streamflows have also begun declining again after recent dry periods.<\/p>\n “We’re concerned because even though the streamflow improved, now that we’ve had a week or more without rain, we’re seeing those streamflows drop right back down,” she said.<\/p>\n The S.C. Drought Response Committee is scheduled to meet this week to evaluate conditions across the state.<\/p>\n Currently, 31 public water systems are requesting voluntary water conservation, while 13 systems have implemented mandatory conservation measures, according to Mizzell.<\/p>\n State officials are particularly concerned about groundwater supplies, streamflows, reservoir levels and the potential impact of another extended dry period during the summer.<\/p>\n Agriculture remains especially vulnerable.<\/p>\n Mizzell said livestock producers and other farmers have already experienced drought-related impacts, including reduced hay production earlier this year.<\/p>\n Forecasters expect additional opportunities for rainfall in the coming days.<\/p>\n The National Weather Service projects roughly 1-2 inches of rain across much of the Upstate over the next week, although amounts will vary because rainfall is expected to come from scattered thunderstorms.<\/p>\n Climate outlooks for mid-June also favor near- to above-normal rainfall.<\/p>\n At minimum, forecasters say current weather patterns should prevent drought conditions from worsening in the near term and could allow for additional improvement.<\/p>\n Still, experts caution that a single wet month cannot erase months of drought.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s going to take more than just one month to recover from this drought,” Mizzell said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n