North Carolina Weekly Crop Survey – September 6, 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
Spotty rainfall has given short‑term relief in many counties but generally has not fully replenished soil moisture.
Pastures and forage production are widely stressed, with reduced growth and increased reliance on stored or supplemental feed in some areas.
Corn yields are reduced in multiple counties, with some fields nearing harvest showing lower‑than‑expected yields.
Producers report increased irrigation use and higher operational costs to maintain crops under dry conditions.
Tobacco and other summer/late‑season crops are experiencing moisture stress in non‑irrigated areas.
Top Statewide Concerns
- low soil moisture
- reduced corn yields
- pasture and forage shortages
- spotty/insufficient rainfall
- higher irrigation costs
- low pond and stream levels
Regional summaries
West / Mountains & Foothills
(Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Madison)
- Mixed conditions: some counties report no drought while others are abnormally dry or in moderate drought.
- Corn yield reductions have been reported in Burke; some areas in Madison and Haywood remain dry but not uniformly at drought level.
Piedmont / Sandhills
(Cabarrus, Cumberland, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Hoke, Moore, Orange, Person, Randolph, Richmond, Scotland, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin)
- Conditions range from abnormally dry to exceptional drought, with Guilford and Person reporting the most severe impacts.
- Pastures and non‑irrigated crops are stressed in many areas; some recent scattered rain has provided only limited relief.
- A few counties report improvement after rainfall, but corn and late‑season vegetables are showing moisture stress in non‑irrigated fields.
North & Central Coastal Plain
(Franklin, Halifax, Hertford, Johnston, Pamlico, Warren, Wilson)
- Many counties are in moderate to severe drought, with Warren described as extreme and Halifax severe in parts.
- Rainfall has been spotty and short‑lived; reports include diminished yields, low water levels, and higher irrigation use/costs.
Southeast Coastal Plain
(Bladen, Duplin, Pender, Sampson)
- Conditions are mixed: Bladen is in severe drought while Duplin and Sampson report only abnormally dry conditions or isolated impacts.
- Thunderstorms recently increased soil moisture in places, but drought effects persist on sandier soils and in areas that missed rain.
County Comments Highlights (selected notes from impact and additional comments)
Person
Northern half of county is still experiencing extreme drought conditions
Guilford
Extreme drought continues with very low soil moisture, stressed pastures and non-irrigated crops, reduced forage, corn drought stress, and moisture-stressed soybeans and vegetables.
Warren
Severe heat and dry conditions diminished yields, affecting corn and produce; higher irrigation costs from diesel equipment burden Warren County farmers.
Bladen
Thunderstorms increased soil moisture across areas in the county, and reduced weekend temperatures helped maintain soil moisture and reduce crop stress.
Orange
Northern band remains in Severe Drought while the lower three-quarters is in Moderate Drought, with soil moisture depleting the longer without rain.
Hertford
Much needed rainfall fell Friday across most of the county (0.4–0.7”), with Ahoskie area under 0.1”; moisture will be short lived.
Johnston
Last week's rain offered heat relief but did little to improve drought conditions; we remain below normal for the year.
Moore
Recent rain helped pastures and hayfields, but other crops have not recovered from earlier drought conditions.
Wilson
Received some timely rain after 100-degree weather last week; water levels are still below normal.
Sampson
Drought conditions linger; impacts are isolated to areas with sandier soils or those that have missed rainfall.
Surry
Extreme heat mid- to upper-90s last week into this weekend brought drought conditions back to crops; some rainfall occurred 9/4–9/5, and today (9/6) but the 10-day forecast shows no more rain chances.
Yadkin
Extreme heat in the mid to upper 90s last week into part of this weekend brought drought conditions to crops; some rainfall came from storms on 9/4–9/5, with today (9/6) rain possible, but the 10-day forecast shows no further chances.
County analysis as a list
View county analysis as a list
Exceptional Drought (1 county)
- Person - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
Extreme Drought (2 counties)
- Guilford - Persistent drought / little change
- Warren - Persistent drought / little change
Severe Drought (3 counties)
- Bladen - Persistent drought / little change
- Halifax - Persistent drought / little change
- Orange - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
Moderate Drought (13 counties)
- Burke - Persistent drought / little change
- Cumberland - Persistent drought / little change
- Davie - Persistent drought / little change
- Forsyth - Some relief / conditions improving
- Franklin - Persistent drought / little change
- Haywood - Persistent drought / little change
- Hertford - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Hoke - Persistent drought / little change
- Johnston - Persistent drought / little change
- Moore - Persistent drought / little change
- Pender - Persistent drought / little change
- Stokes - Some relief / conditions improving
- Wilson - Persistent drought / little change
Abnormally Dry (11 counties)
- Cabarrus - Persistent drought / little change
- Caldwell - Persistent drought / little change
- Cleveland - Persistent drought / little change
- Duplin - Persistent drought / little change
- Madison - Persistent drought / little change
- Pamlico - Persistent drought / little change
- Randolph - Persistent drought / little change
- Richmond - Persistent drought / little change
- Sampson - Persistent drought / little change
- Surry - Persistent drought / little change
- Yadkin - Persistent drought / little change
No mapped response (3 counties)
- Buncombe - Persistent drought / little change
- Gaston - Persistent drought / little change
- Scotland - Persistent drought / little change
Note: Map reflects county-reported drought classifications from the September 6, 2026 survey. Comment signal summarizes the tone of county narrative responses. Counties without a clearly mapped report remain unshaded.