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North Carolina continues to grapple with drought conditions as high temperatures, limited rainfall and increased water demand put pressure on reservoirs, rivers and local water supplies.
ABC11 will track the latest developments and provide updates as conditions change in our viewing area.
New NC drought map reveals that the widespread moderate-to-heavy rain over the last week resulted in improvements for portions of Wake Co. and a few areas east of the Triangle.
SEE ALSO | North Carolina drought tracker: Latest restrictions, water levels and drought impacts
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No significant changes with this week's Drought Monitor.
A few areas picked up locally heavy rain within the last week, leading to localized improvements.
Most of Wake and Franklin Co. are showing a one-category improvement from exceptional to extreme.
Some Raleigh leaders cite previous drought in push for tougher restrictions.
As Raleigh inches closer to stage two water restrictions, city leaders and natives say the worsening drought is stirring memories of the 2007-2009 crisis and raising alarms about how quickly water levels are dropping at Falls Lake.
Many recall the last time conditions were this severe. "It was a crisis period," said Raleigh city councilman Mitchell Silver. He lived in the city during the historic 2008 drought. He said residents today may not realize how serious the situation has become. "I want to make sure sooner rather than later that we're now in a sense of urgency because behavior has not changed," said Mitchell in the city's July 7 afternoon council meeting.
Some who live in the city say the current drought feels just as bad, if not worse. "This is probably the worst drought era that I've ever been involved in or know of," said resident Gene Mathews, who has lived in his home since the 80's.
Wednesday, the City of Burlington announced plans to implement Stage One: Voluntary Water Conservation measures.
City leaders say they currently has sufficient water supplies to meet community demand, but are taking proactive steps to encourage conservation due to prolonged drought conditions.
Burlington is classified as an area of exceptional drought by the NC Drought Management Advisory Council.
The city says, "Implementing Stage One now helps preserve our water supply should drought conditions continue."
Despite a day of heavy rain in Durham, local water supplies remain under significant strain as drought conditions persist, prompting officials to maintain and expand water conservation efforts across the Triangle.
At Lake Michie, which supplies water to Durham, water levels remain low. Areas that would normally be covered by water are still exposed, illustrating the ongoing severity of the drought and the need for continued restrictions.
City officials said declining reservoir levels led Durham to bypass Stage 1 restrictions and move directly to Stage 2 water restrictions on June 15.
