North Carolina Weekly Crop Survey – May 31, 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
Recent rainfall provided short-term relief in many counties but has generally not fully replenished soil moisture statewide.
Hay and forage production is reduced in multiple counties, with reports of slowed grass growth and hay shortages.
Corn planting and development are delayed or stressed across regions, with some areas already tasseling while others remain behind.
Irrigation ponds, streams, and other water supplies remain low in several counties, limiting available water despite recent showers.
Tobacco fields in several counties show signs of drought stress.
Top Statewide Concerns
- Soil moisture deficits
- Delayed planting
- Low pond and stream levels
- Reduced hay and forage yields
- Increased irrigation demand
- Christmas tree and specialty crop stress
Regional summaries
West / Mountains & Foothills
(Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Gaston, Haywood, Iredell, Macon, McDowell, Swain, Yancey)
- Many counties report extreme to exceptional drought, though recent rains provided limited relief.
- Pasture and forage growth is slowed with lower hay production and delayed planting reported.
- Christmas trees and other specialty crops show stress in some high-elevation counties.
Piedmont / Sandhills
(Chatham, Davie, Hoke, Lee, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Person, Randolph, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes)
- Several counties report extreme to severe drought with only spotty showers giving temporary relief.
- Hay shortages and delayed field crop planting were reported; recent rain helped but deficits remain.
- Urban Mecklenburg is focused on water conservation while agricultural production is limited.
North & Central Coastal Plain
(Beaufort, Craven, Currituck, Hyde, Martin, Pamlico, Wayne, Wilson)
- Conditions range from abnormally dry to extreme (Craven); scattered showers gave spotty relief.
- Some areas saw beneficial rain while others report little improvement in soil moisture and continued crop stress.
Southeast Coastal Plain
(Bladen, Brunswick, Duplin, Onslow, Pender, Robeson)
- Reports are mostly abnormally dry to moderate drought; recent showers helped short-term but subsoil moisture remains low.
- Corn and other row crops in parts of the region are entering critical growth stages and need more rain.
- Ponds, rivers, and ditches remain low in portions of the region despite recent spotty rainfall.
County Comments Highlights (selected notes from impact and additional comments)
Caldwell
We were in D4 drought, but last week's rains helped restore soil moisture; we’re greening up, but crops have suffered from the continued drought.
Avery
Drought has affected seedlings planted in March; pastures are 2–3 weeks behind; some Christmas trees are struggling, and recent rain has not overcome earlier dryness.
Davie
Still under extreme drought, but recent rains have boosted crops and planting, with a little over 2 inches of rain in the last week.
Montgomery
Recent rains aided plant health, but we remain persistently dry.
Hoke
We are behind in planting field crops and hay cuttings, and we expect lower yields and hay shortages.
Mecklenburg
Limited agriculture is primarily specialty crops in urban spaces; focus on home/business owner education on water restrictions and lawn watering conservation.
Martin
Martin County is dry in places, with the center receiving rain last week; the northwest part saw basically no rain.
Currituck
Scattered showers helped, but some areas remain dry with soil moisture not replenished; northern portion saw timely rains.
Stanly
Recent rainfall improved soil moisture and crop conditions across Stanly and Anson counties after a dry spring, with some deficits remaining and continued rainfall important for crop development and forage growth.
Swain
Recent rains have lessened drought impacts.
County analysis as a list
View county analysis as a list
Exceptional Drought (1 county)
- Caldwell - Persistent drought / little change
Extreme Drought (6 counties)
- Avery - Some relief / conditions improving
- Craven - Persistent drought / little change
- Davie - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Iredell - Persistent drought / little change
- Montgomery - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Randolph - Persistent drought / little change
Severe Drought (8 counties)
- Burke - Persistent drought / little change
- Catawba - Persistent drought / little change
- Hoke - Persistent drought / little change
- Macon - Persistent drought / little change
- McDowell - Persistent drought / little change
- Mecklenburg - Persistent drought / little change
- Person - Some relief / conditions improving
- Stokes - Persistent drought / little change
Moderate Drought (9 counties)
- Bladen - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Chatham - Some relief / conditions improving
- Gaston - Persistent drought / little change
- Lee - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Martin - Persistent drought / little change
- Richmond - Persistent drought / little change
- Robeson - Persistent drought / little change
- Wilson - Persistent drought / little change
- Yancey - Persistent drought / little change
Abnormally Dry (11 counties)
- Beaufort - Persistent drought / little change
- Brunswick - Persistent drought / little change
- Currituck - Persistent drought / little change
- Duplin - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Haywood - Persistent drought / little change
- Hyde - Persistent drought / little change
- Onslow - Some relief / conditions improving
- Pamlico - Persistent drought / little change
- Scotland - Some relief / conditions improving
- Stanly - Persistent drought / little change
- Swain - Persistent drought / little change
No mapped response (2 counties)
- Pender - Some relief / conditions improving
- Wayne - Persistent drought / little change
Note: Map reflects county-reported drought classifications from the May 31, 2026 survey. Comment signal summarizes the tone of county narrative responses. Counties without a clearly mapped report remain unshaded.