Drought conditions have worsened in Eastern Carolina with fourteen coastal counties now in a severe drought. That is the second worst of the four drought categories.

Those counties are Beaufort, Camden, Carteret, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Jones, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington counties.

Another group of Eastern Carolina counties are under moderate drought conditions. They are Bertie, Chowan, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Lenoir, Martin, Northampton and Pitt counties.

“We are seeing below normal streamflows and groundwater levels due to the recent lack of rainfall and high temperatures, especially along the coast,” said Tom Reeder, director of the N.C. Division of Water Resources. “There have not been any reports of water supply impacts. But if these dry conditions continue, we will likely see greater impacts into the summer months.”