DROUGHT STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
1055 AM EDT THU AUG 28 2008
...DROUGHT RELIEF HAS ARRIVED ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND
PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA...
SYNOPSIS...
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS
HAVE PROVIDED RELIEF FROM THE LONG TERM DROUGHT ACROSS MUCH OF THE
STATE. OVER THE PAST 14 DAYS ENDING AUGUST 27 2008 A SERIES OF RAIN
MAKERS MOVED THROUGH SOUTH CAROLINA PRODUCING A LOT OF RAIN. THE
CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER BASIN HAD THE LEAST AMOUNT WITH ONLY 0.5 TO
1.5 INCHES. NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA HOWEVER RECEIVED AS MUCH AS
10 TO 15 INCHES OF RAIN. THE REST OF THE STATE HAD 4 TO 5 INCHES OF
RAIN DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. THE DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL ACROSS THE
AREA SHOWED 1 INCH BELOW NORMAL OVER WEST CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA AND
INTO THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER BASIN. NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA
HAD AS MUCH AS 8 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. MUCH OF THE REST OF THE AREA
HAD 1 TO 2 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL AMOUNTS OVER THOSE PAST 14 DAYS.
SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...
THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA DROUGHT
STATUS SINCE THE AUGUST 5TH MEETING. THE STATUS OF COUNTIES IN
THE NWS COLUMBIA AREA CAN BE FOUND BELOW:
IN THE WFO COLUMBIA AREA...MCCORMICK...EDGEFIELD...SALUDA AND
NEWBERRY COUNTIES...CONTINUE TO BE IN EXTREME DROUGHT.
FAIRFIELD...KERSHAW AND LANCASTER COUNTIES CONTINUE TO BE IN SEVERE
DROUGHT.
THE REST OF THE COLUMBIA HYDROLOGIC SERVICE AREA REMAINED IN
MODERATE DROUGHT.
THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE CHANGE IN WATER CONSERVATION EFFORTS BY LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AND OTHER WATER DISTRICTS. FOR THE LATEST CHANGES SEE THE
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA CLIMATOLOGIST WEB PAGE AT:
https://www.dnr.sc.gov/pls/drought/drought_restrict/
SOIL MOISTURE CONDITIONS...
THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR VALID ON...AUGUST 26 2008 SHOWED...
D4...EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT...RETREATED TO AN AREA IN NORTHWEST SOUTH
CAROLINA COVERING GREENVILLE...ANDERSON...THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF
PICKENS...ABBEVILLE...NORTHERN GREENWOOD AND LAURENS COUNTIES.
D3...EXTREME DROUGHT...SURROUNDED THE D4 AREA AND EXTENDED INTO
NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA WITH THE SOUTHERN BORDER
EXTENDING FROM EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA ACROSS SOUTHERN EDGEFIELD
NORTHEAST TO THE WESTERN HALF OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
D2...SEVERE DROUGHT...COVERED AREAS SOUTH OF THE D3 AREA WITH
THE SOUTHERN BORDER EXTENDING FROM EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA ACROSS
CENTRAL BARNWELL NORTH TO CENTRAL LEXINGTON AND NORTHEAST TO
SOUTHERN KERSHAW COUNTY AND THEN NORTH THROUGH WESTERN
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY.
D1...MODERATE DROUGHT...COVERED AREAS SOUTH OF THE D2 AREA WITH
THE SOUTHERN BORDER EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEAST GEORGIA INTO
NORTHERN JASPAR COUNTY EAST TO NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY THEN
NORTHWEST TO EXTREME SOUTHERN LEXINGTON AND THEN NORTHEAST TO
CENTRAL LEE AND THEN NORTH TO CENTRAL CHESTERFIELD COUNTY.
D0...ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS...WERE SOUTH OF THE D1 AREA WITH
THE SOUTHERN BORDER EXTENDING FROM FAR SOUTHEAST GEORGIA
ACROSS CENTRAL JASPAR COUNTY EAST TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST
AND THEN NORTH TO CENTRAL DARLINGTON AND NORTHWEST TO EXTREME
EASTERN CHESTERFIELD COUNTY.
THE REST OF SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTHEAST OF THE D0 AREA WAS NOT
CONSIDERED TO BE IN DROUGHT.
THERE HAS BEEN FLASH FLOODING ACROSS PARTS OF THE AREA IN RESPONSE
TO THE HEAVY RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF FAY AND SOME
RIVER FLOODING AS WELL. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE DROUGHT IS OVER.
DROUGHTS ARE ENDED BY LONG TERM ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS.
GROUND WATER CONDITIONS...
THE GROUND WATER NETWORK MAINTAINED BY THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL
SURVEY CONTINUES TO SHOW DETERIORATING CONDITIONS...AS LONG TERM
RAINFALL DEFICITS CONTINUE TO AFFECT GROUND WATER LEVELS. A HIGHER
NUMBER MEANS LESS GROUND WATER. RECENT RAINS HAVE NOT PENETRATED TO
THE WATER TABLE IN THESE AREAS AS OF YET. ONLY THE BERKELEY COUNTY
WELL SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT.
BAKER CREEK STATE PARK WELL BERKELEY COUNTY AIRPORT
AUGUST 06 2008 40.31 FEET 64.49 FEET
AUGUST 27 2008 40.40 FEET RECORD LOW 64.29 FEET RECORD LOW
DIFFERENCE MINUS 0.09 FEET PLUS 0.20 FEET
TIMMONSVILLE CHESTER COUNTY
AUGUST 06 2008 43.79 FEET 89.60 FEET
AUGUST 27 2008 44.51 FEET RECORD LOW 89.62 FEET NORMAL RANGE
DIFFERENCE MINUS 0.72 FEET MINUS 0.02 FEET
RIVER AND STREAMFLOW CONDITIONS...
OVER THE PAST 7 DAYS THROUGH AUGUST 26...FLOWS ON RANKED GAGES
MAINTAINED BY THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SHOWED THAT MOST
OF THE STATE CONTINUED TO HAVE BELOW NORMAL FLOW. THE PEE DEE RIVER
BASIN HAD BELOW NORMAL FLOW WHILE THE REST OF THE STATE HAD MODERATE
HYDROLOGIC DROUGHT. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SALUDA RIVER BASIN
WHICH HAD SEVERE HYDROLOGIC DROUGHT CONDITIONS.
A SNAPSHOT OF THE FLOW ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA ON THE EVENING OF
AUGUST 27TH SHOWED GREAT IMPROVEMENT WITH ONLY 22 PERCENT OF THE
RANKED GAGES REPORTING FLOW IN THE 10 TO 24 PERCENTILE RANGE. THE
REST WERE IN THE NORMAL RANGE OR ABOVE. SELECTED RANKED GAGES SHOWED
THAT FLOW WAS NOW 828 PERCENT OF MEDIAN FLOW. THE HIGH NUMBER IS THE
RESULT OF THE EXTREME HEAVY RAIN THAT FELL IN NORTHERN SOUTH
CAROLINA.
RESERVOIRS...
ALL RESERVOIRS REPORTED SHOW CONTINUED FALLING LEVELS...EXCEPT LAKE
WATEREE WHERE THERE WAS LITTLE CHANGE IN POOL ELEVATIONS.
LAKE GREENWOOD LAKE THURMOND
AUGUST 06 2008 436.27 FEET AUGUST 06 2008 317.06 FEET
AUGUST 27 2008 435.60 FEET AUGUST 27 2008 315.69 FEET
DIFFERENCE MINUS 0.67 FEET MINUS 0.37 FEET
LAKE RUSSELL LAKE MURRAY
AUGUST 06 2008 472.51 FEET AUGUST 06 2008 356.79 FEET
AUGUST 27 2008 472.73 FEET AUGUST 27 2008 356.70 FEET
DIFFERENCE PLUS 0.22 FEET MINUS 0.09 FEET
LAKE MARION
AUGUST 06 2008 71.77 FEET
AUGUST 27 2008 71.37 FEET
DIFFERENCE MINUS 0.40 FEET
LAKE WATEREE AT AUGUST 28 2008 SHOWED AN INCREASE TO 98.8 FEET...UP
1.3 FEET FROM THE READING OF AUGUST 5 2008.
BOTH LAKES THURMOND AND LAKE RUSSELL CONTINUE TO BE BELOW NORMAL
FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR WITH LAKE THURMOND AROUND 12 FEET BELOW NORMAL
AND LAKE RUSSELL 0.3 FEET BELOW NORMAL. DATA FOR THIS SEGMENT WAS
GATHERED FROM THE USGS...USACE AND DUKE ENERGY.
EXPECT RISES ON AREA RESERVOIRS AS RUNOFF FROM RECENT RAINS BEGIN
FLOWING INTO THEM.
CLIMATE SUMMARY...
PRECIPITATION FROM JANUARY 1 THROUGH AUGUST 27 2008
STATION PRECIPITATION DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL PERCENT OF NORMAL
COLUMBIA SC 30.28 INCHES MINUS 4.26 INCHES 88 PERCENT
AUGUSTA GA 27.54 INCHES MINUS 3.87 INCHES 88 PERCENT
PRECIPITATION FROM JUNE 1 THROUGH AUGUST 27 2008
COLUMBIA SC 15.09 INCHES MINUS 0.21 INCHES 99 PERCENT
AUGUSTA GA 10.65 INCHES MINUS 1.53 INCHES 88 PERCENT
PRECIPITATION FROM AUGUST 1 THROUGH AUGUST 27 2008
COLUMBIA SC 8.78 INCHES PLUS 4.01 INCHES 184 PERCENT
AUGUSTA GA 5.26 INCHES PLUS 1.70 INCHES 143 PERCENT
AUGUST 2008 IS NOW WELL ABOVE NORMAL AT BOTH STATIONS SIGNALING
AN IMPROVEMENT IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA.
PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...
CURRENT FORECAST OUT TO 7 DAYS...
THE CURRENT FORECAST CALLS FOR CONTINUED SLIGHT CHANCES OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR MUCH OF THE NEXT 7 DAYS. OVERALL...THIS WILL
NOT LEAD TO FURTHER WIDESPREAD IMPROVEMENT IN SOIL MOISTURE
CONDITIONS DUE TO WIDELY SCATTERED COVERAGE OF THE PRECIPITATION.
HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE AROUND 90 AND LOWS IN THE UPPER 60S TO
LOWER 70S.
THE 6 TO 10 DAY OUTLOOK VALID FROM SEPTEMBER 2 TO SEPTEMBER 6 2008
CALLS FOR 33 PERCENT CHANCE OF ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND 33
PERCENT CHANCE OF BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR SOUTH CAROLINA AND
GEORGIA.
THE 8 TO 14 DAY OUTLOOK VALID FROM SEPTEMBER 4 TO SEPTEMBER 10 2008
CALLS FOR EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE...BELOW OR NORMAL PRECIPITATION
ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA AND EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE...BELOW
OR NORMAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF SOUTH CAROLINA
AND THE NORTHERN THIRD OF GEORGIA. A 33 PERCENT CHANCE OF BELOW
NORMAL TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TWO THIRDS
OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE SOUTHERN HALF OF GEORGIA.
THE OUTLOOK FOR SEPTEMBER 2008 CALLS FOR EQUAL CHANCES OF
ABOVE...BELOW OR NORMAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS GEORGIA AND SOUTH
CAROLINA. EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE...BELOW OR NORMAL PRECIPITATION CAN
BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND
NORTHERN THIRD OF GEORGIA. THERE IS A 33 TO 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF
ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST THREE QUARTERS OF
SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE SOUTHERN TWO THIRDS OF GEORGIA.
THE 3 MONTH OUTLOOK FOR SEPTEMBER...OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER OF 2008
CALLS FOR EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE...BELOW OR NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND
PRECIPITATION ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. THERE IS A 33
PERCENT CHANCE OF ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION ALONG THE SOUTH
CAROLINA AND GEORGIA COAST.
HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...
SOIL MOISTURE HAS IMPROVED ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE BEST IMPROVEMENT
IN THE DROUGHT STRICKEN AREAS OF NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN SOUTH
CAROLINA. THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER BASIN OF GEORGIA HAD THE LEAST
IMPROVEMENT.
SHORT TERM OUTLOOKS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A BETTER CHANCE FOR RAIN
ACROSS THE AREA. HOWEVER THE BEST CHANCES WILL BE OVER AREAS TOWARD
THE COASTS OF GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THE SHORT TERM OUTLOOKS
CAN CHANGE WITH THE MOVEMENT OF TROPICAL SYSTEMS AND NEED TO BE
WATCHED CLOSELY.
FOR NOW...DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT IN RELIEVING THE DROUGHT HAS BEGUN
IN THE SHORT TERM. THE LONGER TERM OUTLOOKS HOWEVER ARE MORE
UNCERTAIN.
NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...
THE NEXT DROUGHT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED ON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 4
2008 UNLESS THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE DROUGHT STATUS.
RELATED WEB SITES...
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE CURRENT DROUGHT MAY BE FOUND AT THE
FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES:
U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR...
http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html
NOAA DROUGHT PAGE...
http://www.drought.noaa.gov/
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE CLIMATOLOGIST...
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/
NWS COLUMBIA DROUGHT PAGE...
http://www.weather.gov/cae/drought.php
ADDITIONAL RIVER AND LAKE INFORMATION:
NWS...
http://www.weather.gov/water/
USACE...
http://water.sas.usace.army.mil/home
USGS...
http://www.usgs.gov/
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...
THE UNITED STATES DROUGHT MONITOR IS A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT INVOLVING
NOAA/ NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA
CENTER...THE USDA...STATE AND REGIONAL CENTER CLIMATOLOGISTS AND THE
NATIONAL DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER. INFORMATION FOR THIS STATEMENT
HAS BEEN GATHERED FROM NWS AND FAA OBSERVATION SITES...STATE
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE...THE USDA...USACE AND THE USGS.
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS...
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS DROUGHT STATEMENT
PLEASE CONTACT...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
2909 AVIATION WAY
WEST COLUMBIA SC 29170
PHONE: 803-822-8135
INTERNET ADDRESS W-CAE.webmaster@noaa.gov