North Carolina Weekly Crop Survey – June 28, 2026

Drought Impact Analysis From Extension Agents Across the State

Responses 43
Counties Mapped 45
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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, spotty rainfall provided short-term relief in many counties but generally did not replenish subsoil moisture.
Pastures and hayfields across the state are notably impacted, with reduced cuttings and increased feeding or hay demand reported.
Corn and other row crops show drought damage in multiple counties, with stunting and expected yield losses in some fields.
Irrigation supplies are limited in several areas—ponds, creeks, and swamps remain low and restrict irrigation use.
Overall crop growth and yields across diverse commodities are being reduced by prolonged moisture deficits and high temperatures.

Top Statewide Concerns

  • Low subsoil moisture
  • Pasture and hay shortages
  • Irrigation water depletion
  • Corn yield loss
  • High temperatures
  • Spotty/insufficient rainfall

Regional summaries

West / Mountains & Foothills

(Alexander, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Watauga)

  • Multiple mountain/foothill counties report Extreme to Severe drought with spotty, localized rainfall.
  • Pastures and hayfields are showing lasting impacts; some producers are still feeding hay and hay cuttings are reduced.
  • Weekend showers provided localized relief but have not replenished subsoil moisture countywide.

Piedmont / Sandhills

(Anson, Chatham, Davie, Forsyth, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Person, Randolph, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Wake, Yadkin)

  • Large portions of the Piedmont are in Severe or Extreme drought with pasture yields below normal and high hay demand.
  • Recent localized rains gave temporary relief in places, but conditions are highly variable across counties.
  • Several row crops and tobacco show stunting, dead plants, or other signs of reduced yield potential.

North & Central Coastal Plain

(Craven, Franklin, Halifax, Hyde, Johnston, Martin, Nash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson)

  • Many North and Central Coastal Plain counties are in Extreme drought with low subsoil moisture despite recent rains.
  • Surface water and irrigation sources are limited in areas; some counties report ponds and creeks remain low.
  • Some locations (e.g., Johnston) report they still need many inches of rain to recover—recent precipitation insufficient to catch up.

Southeast Coastal Plain

(Duplin, Onslow, Pender, Robeson, Sampson)

  • Southeastern counties report Extreme to Severe drought with major impacts on corn and other row crops.
  • Irrigation ponds and surface water supplies are nearly depleted in some areas, constraining irrigation for produce growers.
  • Scattered storms have improved topsoil moisture in places but overall crop and water-supply stress remains high.

County Comments Highlights (selected notes from impact and additional comments)

Alexander
Drought is impacting the entire county; any rain has been spotty and increasing temperatures have worsened the situation.
Chatham
Rainfall of 0.97–1.78 inches provided short-term relief, but pasture yields remain below normal and some livestock producers have begun supplementing with hay.
Duplin
Crops that are active are still being impacted by lack of rain and heat; this is widespread and field dependent.
Johnston
We’re 35% drier than normal and need 14-15 inches of rain to catch up; creeks, swamps, and irrigation ponds are low or unusable.
Rowan
Pastures are very dry and only one cutting; hay will be in great demand this year.
Burke
Weekend rain has lessened plant symptoms.
Forsyth
Fields have bare spots from dead plants and stunted growth, indicating yield will be lower than expected this season.
Iredell
Still in severe drought with lasting impacts on pastures and hayfields, and slight impacts on warm-season row crops starting.
Stokes
Lack of fescue for hay—greatly reduced; fields with bare spots from dead plants and stunted growth indicate lower yield than expected.
Wake
Rainfall helped maintain plant growth at critical times, but uneven amounts; continued rain is needed in coming weeks with high forecasted temperatures.

County analysis as a list

View county analysis as a list

Extreme Drought (16 counties)

  • Alexander - Persistent drought / little change
  • Catawba - Persistent drought / little change
  • Chatham - Persistent drought / little change
  • Craven - Persistent drought / little change
  • Davie - Persistent drought / little change
  • Duplin - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
  • Franklin - Persistent drought / little change
  • Halifax - Persistent drought / little change
  • Johnston - Persistent drought / little change
  • Montgomery - Persistent drought / little change
  • Nash - Persistent drought / little change
  • Person - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
  • Rowan - Persistent drought / little change
  • Sampson - Persistent drought / little change
  • Washington - Persistent drought / little change
  • Watauga - Persistent drought / little change

Severe Drought (12 counties)

  • Burke - Persistent drought / little change
  • Forsyth - Persistent drought / little change
  • Gaston - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
  • Hoke - Persistent drought / little change
  • Iredell - Persistent drought / little change
  • Macon - Persistent drought / little change
  • Onslow - Persistent drought / little change
  • Randolph - Persistent drought / little change
  • Robeson - Persistent drought / little change
  • Scotland - Persistent drought / little change
  • Stokes - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Wake - Persistent drought / little change

Moderate Drought (7 counties)

  • Lee - Persistent drought / little change
  • Madison - Persistent drought / little change
  • Pender - Persistent drought / little change
  • Surry - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Warren - Persistent drought / little change
  • Wilson - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Yadkin - Persistent drought / little change

Abnormally Dry (10 counties)

  • Anson - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Buncombe - Persistent drought / little change
  • Caldwell - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Haywood - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Henderson - Persistent drought / little change
  • Hyde - Persistent drought / little change
  • Martin - Some relief / conditions improving
  • McDowell - Persistent drought / little change
  • Stanly - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Wayne - Persistent drought / little change

Note: Map reflects county-reported drought classifications from the June 28, 2026 survey. Comment signal summarizes the tone of county narrative responses. Counties without a clearly mapped report remain unshaded.