State officials scared by drought

After months of being in drought conditions, things really don't seem to be getting any better. Can't even walk out in the yard 3 feet at the time without stirring up a dust cloud. Not good for folks with respiratory problems. Funny thing is my flowers, tomatoes, & pepper plants are acting like it's spring again! All have new growth & blossoms. The tomato & pepper plants all have new 'fruit' on them as well. I have cut back as fas as I can on water use here at the house. Quit watering the flower beds, re-using water, only washing clothes when I have a completely full wash load, etc. Cattle & horses have to continuously have water however. A little north of us, there is a concern of the 'triangle' area running out of water. We have been under a state-wide water conservation 'program' for a couple of months now, but with little to no rain, options are starting to run thin in some areas...

Here's an excerpt from a local area news story: Grim prospects for rain are starting to frighten state officials as the drought gripping North Carolina shows little change.

"We are scared because we have the potential at least for a dry winter," State Climatologist Ryan Boyles said following a meeting of the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council drought panel. "We are on our way to be worse than 2002 and probably on our way from having the worst drought on record." .......................... Falls Lake, the primary water source for Raleigh and several Wake County towns, is down about six feet from normal levels and is only two feet above its all-time low level, which was reached in a drought five years ago.

The lake's quality water capacity - the amount of water it contains that doesn't need heavy pretreatment - is down to 45 percent, while Jordan Lake, the primary water source for Cary and other area towns, has about 42 percent of its quality water capacity, officials said.

"Does this mean we're going to run out of water in Falls Lake sometime in January? No," said Terry Brown, of the Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the lake. "At zero percent (quality water capacity) ... we basically have 36½ feet of lake left at that point. (to tap) on an emergency basis, on a very high conservation-type use."

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Still in the dry, dusty heat, Rae

Reply to
raeannsimpson
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raeannsimpson expounded:

We're hot and humid again, but it's supposed to break tonight. We had

1.5" of rain a couple weeks ago, and .12" sometime in mid-August, but that's been it since the beginning of July. My climbing hydrangea is starting to wilt again, that's a well-estalished vine that never wilts

- I hope it rains this fall!

Reply to
Ann

Same here and I've been watering young plants by bucket.

Bill

Reply to
William Wagner

You should try going into the 8th year of drought in a row!

Reply to
FarmI

there just might be children in OZ who would be terrified and traumatized if they were to see rain falling out of the sky.

there is a silver lining to our cloudless sky. when the water is gone maybe some of these billions of 'newcomers' will move as in leave.

Reply to
Jim

Thus, one must plan and prepare for either possibility, or all possibilities......something to which we have become unaccustomed.

Charlie

Reply to
Charlie

Some possibilities are feasible, and one can prepare for them. Yet, many do not out of choice. Some possibilities are feasible, but, some cannot due to the financial burdens. Some possibilities are feasible, and obviously real when they apparently happen. Yet, some ignore them. Like driving through a rain-swollen creek to be swept away. Some possibilities are feasible, but, cannot be prepared for. The 30's dust bowl is an example. Dave

Reply to
Dave

snip...

Yeah. We have it as bad or worse on this side of the mountains. Farmers chalked this year up as a loss back in the early Spring. I watch the animated Doppler radar weather maps online and it seems as if every front carrying precipitation either peters our before getting to my area or splits in two and goes around (and that is just not paranoia -- it has happened quite a few times). I keep telling myself that at least it means that mowing my little bit of lawn is becoming a once-a-year chore.

Just remember that some parts of the Atacama desert have not seen rain for 400 years and the average rainfall is something less that 0.01 inches IIRC.

Reply to
John McGaw

John McGaw expounded:

This exact same thing is happening to those of us on the South Shore here in Massachusetts. It's absolutely maddening.

A cold front came through yesterday and got rid of the humidity - thank goodness - but we got a whopping .10" of rain :o( I suppose I should be happy we got a drop.....

Reply to
Ann

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