North Carolina Weekly Crop Survey – July 19, 2026

Drought Impact Analysis From Extension Agents Across the State

Responses 44
Counties Mapped 46
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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

Rainfall this week was highly variable and mostly spotty, providing short-term relief in places but not widespread recharge of soil moisture.
Pastures and hay crops are widely stressed; many producers are feeding purchased hay and reporting shortages.
Corn is broadly drought-damaged with many fields severely stressed or tasseled prematurely, suggesting reduced yields in affected areas.
Ponds, streams, and irrigation supplies remain low across multiple counties, limiting irrigation options for growers.

Top Statewide Concerns

  • Low streams and ponds
  • Hay and forage shortages
  • Reduced corn yields
  • Limited irrigation water
  • Spotty rains and runoff losses
  • High hay/feed costs

Regional summaries

West / Mountains & Foothills

(Alexander, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Macon, McDowell, Wilkes, Yancey)

  • Many mountain and foothill counties report severe to extreme drought with low groundwater, creeks, and streams.
  • Showers have been spotty; some areas received heavy thunderstorms that produced runoff and limited infiltration.
  • Pastures and forages are stressed and producers are feeding hay in several locations.

Piedmont / Sandhills

(Anson, Cabarrus, Caswell, Cumberland, Davie, Forsyth, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Person, Randolph, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Union, Yadkin)

  • Large areas of the Piedmont are in extreme to exceptional drought, with several counties reporting continuing drought impacts.
  • Pastures and hay stands are under lasting pressure, leading to hay purchases and higher hay prices.
  • Row crops show drought stress: corn tasseled prematurely or is stunted, soybean planting delayed in some areas, and irrigation supplies are becoming low.

North & Central Coastal Plain

(Craven, Halifax, Johnston, Martin, Pamlico, Washington, Wayne, Wilson)

  • Coastal plain counties in the north/central region report severe to extreme drought with low soil moisture, streams, and ponds.
  • Scattered rains have provided some relief but have not fully reversed deficits or restored water resources.

Southeast Coastal Plain

(Bladen, Brunswick, Duplin, Onslow, Pender, Sampson)

  • Extreme drought is widespread in the southeast coastal plain with very low streams and water bodies and visible crop scorch and stunting.
  • Corn and forage crops are particularly impacted; recent heavy rains have helped in places but early-season damage and low hay production persist.

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

Person
Drought continues; some parts of county are getting some rains
Bladen
Very dry and hot; streams and water bodies are very low; yields affected, perennials being lost to scorch; corn yield not looking good; boll abortion in cotton; wilt and leaf curl widespread.
Rowan
Soybean planting delayed for most growers; pastures struggle, most cattle producers feeding hay purchased from elsewhere; hay prices are high.
Sampson
Early-season drought has severely impacted corn and other early-planted crops, but recent heavy rains are alleviating extreme drought and could help later-planted crops if rains continue.
Cleveland
Although some rain fell early last week, row crops, especially corn, remain under extreme drought pressure and will not recover from drought impacts.
Johnston
In the past 2 weeks, drought moved from 15 to 7 inches below normal for 2026, after starting 2025 2–3 inches below normal.
Macon
Some areas remain dry and miss daily storms, while others near 10" in July face heavy runoff from rapid storms; the north is driest, southeastern rainfall exists but Cullasaja watershed stream levels stay low.
Wayne
Major concerns are corn; everything else is doing ok. Could use some rain.
Henderson
Recent rains were scattered but provided moisture; warm temps and storms maintained conditions without substantially raising water levels.
Surry
Some parts received weekend thunderstorms (7-18/19) with chances of more rain (7-20 to 7-24); conditions improving in Surry County and northern Yadkin, but middle/southern Yadkin still in drought for most crops.
Yadkin
Some parts received weekend thunderstorms with more chances next week; crop conditions improving in some areas, but water table is depleted, with drought in middle/southern Yadkin County.

County analysis as a list

View county analysis as a list

Exceptional Drought (1 county)

  • Person - Worsening / crop stress intensifying

Extreme Drought (13 counties)

  • Alexander - Persistent drought / little change
  • Bladen - Persistent drought / little change
  • Brunswick - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Catawba - Persistent drought / little change
  • Craven - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Cumberland - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
  • Davie - Persistent drought / little change
  • Duplin - Persistent drought / little change
  • Forsyth - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
  • Montgomery - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Randolph - Persistent drought / little change
  • Rowan - Persistent drought / little change
  • Sampson - Persistent drought / little change

Severe Drought (13 counties)

  • Burke - Persistent drought / little change
  • Caswell - Persistent drought / little change
  • Cleveland - Persistent drought / little change
  • Halifax - Persistent drought / little change
  • Iredell - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Johnston - Persistent drought / little change
  • Lee - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
  • Macon - Persistent drought / little change
  • Onslow - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Stokes - Persistent drought / little change
  • Union - Persistent drought / little change
  • Washington - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
  • Wilkes - Some relief / conditions improving

Moderate Drought (10 counties)

  • Anson - Persistent drought / little change
  • Cabarrus - Persistent drought / little change
  • Gaston - Persistent drought / little change
  • Hoke - Persistent drought / little change
  • Pamlico - Persistent drought / little change
  • Pender - Persistent drought / little change
  • Scotland - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Stanly - Persistent drought / little change
  • Wayne - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
  • Wilson - Some relief / conditions improving

Abnormally Dry (9 counties)

  • Avery - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
  • Caldwell - Persistent drought / little change
  • Haywood - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Henderson - Persistent drought / little change
  • Martin - Persistent drought / little change
  • McDowell - Persistent drought / little change
  • Surry - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Yadkin - Some relief / conditions improving
  • Yancey - Persistent drought / little change

Note: Map reflects county-reported drought classifications from the July 19, 2026 survey. Comment signal summarizes the tone of county narrative responses. Counties without a clearly mapped report remain unshaded.