North Carolina Weekly Crop Survey – November 1, 2026
Drought Impact Analysis From Extension Agents Across the State
Drought Impact (County Reported)
Select a level to isolate it on the map.
Comment Signal
Worsening / crop stress intensifying
Some relief / conditions improving
Uneven rainfall / mixed conditions
Persistent drought / little change
Map of county-reported drought impact
Every county on this map is listed, grouped by impact level, at the end of this page under “View county data as a list”.
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Statewide Trends
Many counties report little to no measurable rainfall recently, leaving soils dry and surface water levels low.
Pasture and fall forage growth is widely reduced and producers in several counties are feeding stored hay.
Fall planting and cover-crop establishment are delayed across numerous counties because soils are too hard or too dry to plant.
Corn and soybean harvests are progressing in some areas, but dry conditions are limiting planting and establishment of small grains for next season.
Top Statewide Concerns
- Pasture and hay shortages
- Delayed wheat/cover-crop planting
- Low surface and groundwater levels
- Reduced fall forage growth
- Increased reliance on irrigation where available
- Crop yield impacts from prolonged dryness
Regional summaries
West / Mountains & Foothills
(Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Macon, Madison, Yancey)
- Dry conditions have slowed fall forage growth and in places left soils too hard to plant wheat or small grains.
- Pastures are stressed and some producers are feeding hay; several counties report worsening drought with severe pockets in Yancey and Catawba.
Piedmont / Sandhills
(Anson, Caswell, Chatham, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Hoke, Montgomery, Orange, Person, Richmond, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin)
- Pasture recovery and winter small-grain establishment are limited; extreme conditions reported in Anson and Person.
- Livestock producers report reduced grazing and increased hay use; recent light rains provided only limited relief while harvest continues.
North & Central Coastal Plain
(Camden, Craven, Edgecombe, Hyde, Johnston, Martin, Northampton, Warren, Wilson)
- Water levels and soil moisture are very low in parts of the region, with rivers/ponds/groundwater notably depleted in some counties.
- Multiple counties report extreme to exceptional drought (Craven, Johnston, Warren), delaying fall plantings even as harvest proceeds.
Southeast Coastal Plain
(Bladen, Columbus, Duplin, Pender, Sampson)
- Most counties are severely dry with very dry topsoil that is delaying wheat, rye, and cover crop germination and establishment.
- Growers are awaiting rain to establish fall/winter crops; irrigated fields show better regrowth where irrigation is available.
County Comments Highlights (selected notes from impact and additional comments)
Craven
Rivers, ponds and groundwater very low. Fall plantings delayed due to lack of soil water.
Anson
Still dry. Planting grain is too dry to plant. Winter grazing is happening but with the dryness not is will not yield much. Hay crops were low due to drought. Hurting small grains and fescue pastures.
Johnston
Today marks 15 days without enough rain to slow harvesting. Soils are extremely dry, and wheat farmers are waiting for rain to plant. Today marks 15 days without enough rain to slow harvesting. Soils are extremely dry, and wheat farmers are waiting for rain to plant. We are 25-26% below normal for the year.
Warren
Persistent severe to extreme drought conditions across Warren County severely depleted soil moisture, hindering fall forage establishment and dryland field performance. Consequently, pasture growth remains significantly curtailed
Bladen
Very dry on the topsoil. Subsoil moistures are holding steady with cooler temperatures. Remaining crops in the fields have reached maturity and are preparing to be harvested. Blueberry regrowth is coming along especially under irrigation. The last of Cotton and Soybeans are preparing to be harvested. Wheat planting is continuing with hopes of some rain showers later this week.
Richmond
No rain within the past couple of weeks has brought drought conditions back to most of the county.
Yancey
We are continuing to undergo very dry condition, and have not had any rainfall in the county again over the past week. Surface streams are significantly low and we are very legitimate concerned regarding the impacts of drought conditions on pastures and other fall/winter crops. Due to the season, vegetable crops are limited to those produced in hi-tunnels and greenhouses.
Chatham
Chatham County received no measurable rainfall over the past week, leaving pastures and crops in continued need of moisture. Consistent rainfall is urgently needed to replenish soil moisture and help mitigate ongoing agricultural losses from the prolonged drought.
Edgecombe
Soil is dry, some rain has come through over the past weeks but not enough to fully fill water reservoirs. Agriculture crops not affected at this point due to crops being harvested/having already been harvested. Current drought/lack of soil moisture issues will likely stem into how next planting season will go.
County analysis as a list
View county analysis as a list
Exceptional Drought (1 county)
- Craven - Persistent drought / little change
Extreme Drought (4 counties)
- Anson - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Johnston - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Person - Persistent drought / little change
- Warren - Persistent drought / little change
Severe Drought (10 counties)
- Bladen - Persistent drought / little change
- Camden - Persistent drought / little change
- Catawba - Persistent drought / little change
- Columbus - Persistent drought / little change
- Duplin - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Durham - Persistent drought / little change
- Guilford - Persistent drought / little change
- Orange - Persistent drought / little change
- Richmond - Persistent drought / little change
- Yancey - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
Moderate Drought (12 counties)
- Caswell - Persistent drought / little change
- Chatham - Some relief / conditions improving
- Forsyth - Persistent drought / little change
- Gaston - Persistent drought / little change
- Henderson - Persistent drought / little change
- Hoke - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Macon - Persistent drought / little change
- Madison - Persistent drought / little change
- Montgomery - Persistent drought / little change
- Sampson - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Stokes - Some relief / conditions improving
- Wilson - Persistent drought / little change
Abnormally Dry (9 counties)
- Burke - Persistent drought / little change
- Caldwell - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Davie - Persistent drought / little change
- Edgecombe - Persistent drought / little change
- Hyde - Some relief / conditions improving
- Northampton - Persistent drought / little change
- Pender - Persistent drought / little change
- Surry - Persistent drought / little change
- Yadkin - Persistent drought / little change
No mapped response (3 counties)
- Buncombe - Persistent drought / little change
- Haywood - Persistent drought / little change
- Martin - Persistent drought / little change
Note: Map reflects county-reported drought classifications from the November 1, 2026 survey. Comment signal summarizes the tone of county narrative responses. Counties without a clearly mapped report remain unshaded.