North Carolina drought tracker: Latest restrictions, water levels and drought impacts

ByABC11 Digital Team WTVD logo
Last updated: Friday, July 17, 2026 8:00PM GMT
Drought 2026 and impact across Central North Carolina
An Orange County landscaping business is staying busy despite intense summer heat and severe drought conditions affecting much of the area.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- See our latest live blog here.

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.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Jul 16, 2026, 1:54 PM

July 16 drought map

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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Jul 14, 2026, 2:06 AM GMT

Recent rains quenching but drought conditions persists

Most of Central North Carolina has been parched for months.

The recent rainfalls from storms has been quenching, however, drought conditions still persists for many area.

Rainfall totals are still being accumulate, but here's a graphic with an early look at some from Saturday and Sunday.

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Jul 11, 2026, 1:48 AM GMT

Teen's landscaping business seeing green despite drought

A recent high grad in Orange County runs a landscaping business and he's staying busy despite intense summer heat and severe drought conditions affecting much of the area.

Saajan Reck, 18, who started his landscaping company a year ago while attending Chapel Hill High School, said demand for landscaping services remains strong.

"I feel like there's always a demand," Reck said. "You just have to go out and find it."

Now a recent graduate, Reck leads a six-person crew that includes two current high school students.

"Business is doing pretty good," Reck said. "This is the good time for landscaping, and we've been pretty busy."

The drought has affected lawns across parts of the Triangle, with some grass turning brown or ceasing growth. In response, Reck Landscaping has shifted its focus toward services such as mulch delivery, mulch spreading and rock work.

Watch Full story here.

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Jul 10, 2026, 5:12 PM GMT

Big difference in rainfall across central NC

While recent storms have brought rain to parts of central North Carolina, not everyone has benefited equally.

Raleigh has picked up 7.87 inches of rain, compared with just 2.26 inches in Fayetteville.

The nearly 5.6-inch difference highlights how uneven summer rainfall has been across the region, with some areas seeing repeated rounds of storms while others continue to miss out.

Forecasters say scattered showers and thunderstorms remain in the forecast this weekend, which could help narrow the gap in some communities.

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Jul 19, 2026, 5:19 PM GMT

Orange County hits exception drought status

Much of Orange County remains in exceptional drought, the highest drought category, according to a new map released Thursday.

People from across the county continue to see the effects of prolonged dry conditions, even after recent rainfall.

The Eno River is one of Orange County's water sources. The county relies on a combination of surface water and groundwater wells, and some drought-related impacts remain visible.

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