North Carolina Weekly Crop Survey – September 20, 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 low soil moisture and low stream, river, or pond levels, indicating continued widespread moisture deficits.
Pastures and forage production are widely stressed across regions, reducing available grazing and hay yields.
Corn yields are reported below average in several counties and some corn remains drought-stressed near harvest.
Tobacco harvest and curing are advancing in dry conditions in some areas while drought stress is affecting tobacco crops in others.
Local water restrictions and limited water supplies were reported, constraining irrigation and livestock water availability in some counties.
Top Statewide Concerns
- Low soil moisture
- Low stream and pond levels
- Pasture and forage stress
- Late-season soybean pod fill
- Reduced corn and peanut yields
- Water restrictions and irrigation limits
Regional summaries
West / Mountains & Foothills
(Alexander, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood)
- Most Mountain and Foothill reports are No mapped response or Moderate Drought; some recent localized rain provided short-term relief.
- Ponds, streams, and other water sources remain low in places, and impacts are generally reported as low water levels or local water restrictions.
- Crops mentioned include apples, corn, vegetables, and pastures, with limited current crop impacts reported in several counties.
Piedmont / Sandhills
(Anson, Caswell, Chatham, Cumberland, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Orange, Person, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Wake, Yadkin)
- Conditions range from Abnormally Dry to Exceptional Drought across the Piedmont; multiple counties are in Extreme or Severe categories.
- Pastures, hay, and soybeans are widely stressed; growers report plants browning, incomplete recovery, and uneven rainfall with only localized relief.
- Some areas note harvest progressing (including tobacco curing), but late-season crops remain vulnerable and northern subareas report the worst conditions.
North & Central Coastal Plain
(Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Craven, Edgecombe, Franklin, Halifax, Hertford, Johnston, Martin, Northampton, Pamlico, Perquimans, Washington, Wayne, Wilson)
- Reports span Abnormally Dry to Exceptional Drought, with several coastal plain counties in Extreme or Exceptional categories.
- Subsoil moisture, rivers, and streams reported low in multiple counties; observers note below-average corn and peanut yields and small or drying soybeans.
- Rainfall was spotty in places—some fields are holding up while others are drying down quickly as harvest approaches.
Southeast Coastal Plain
(Bladen, Brunswick, Duplin, Onslow, Pender, Sampson)
- Southeast coastal plain counties range from Abnormally Dry to Severe Drought; recent rains mitigated stress in some areas but concerns remain.
- Late-maturing soybeans, vegetables, and tobacco show water-stress symptoms in parts of the region, and pastures have mixed recovery after recent showers.
County Comments Highlights (selected notes from impact and additional comments)
Person
Northern half of the county is still experiencing extreme to exceptional drought.
Wayne
Very dry, damaging peanut and soybean crops.
Craven
Subsoil moisture remains very low; rivers are low, with scattered, minimal rainfall keeping crops alive.
Forsyth
Drought is causing plants to brown; nearing harvest time, they aren’t showing maturity, just drought-stressed rather than ready to harvest.
Stokes
Drought is causing plants to brown near harvest time, not showing signs of maturity or readiness to harvest, just drought stress.
Bertie
Widespread drought covers the county; most crops are past the point where precipitation can have any positive effect.
Wake
No major changes; isolated storms, but overall dry and hot; tobacco harvest progressing and curing; impacts in fields stable, with soybeans and pastures/forages most significant and variable across the county.
Moore
Crops such as corn, soybeans, and other crops planted earlier in the season have not been able to recover from the drought; pasture and hayfields have benefited from recent rain.
County analysis as a list
View county analysis as a list
Exceptional Drought (2 counties)
- Person - Persistent drought / little change
- Wayne - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
Extreme Drought (7 counties)
- Caswell - Persistent drought / little change
- Craven - Persistent drought / little change
- Forsyth - Persistent drought / little change
- Halifax - Persistent drought / little change
- Montgomery - Persistent drought / little change
- Rockingham - Persistent drought / little change
- Stokes - Persistent drought / little change
Severe Drought (4 counties)
- Anson - Persistent drought / little change
- Bertie - Persistent drought / little change
- Bladen - Persistent drought / little change
- Wake - Some relief / conditions improving
Moderate Drought (19 counties)
- Alexander - Persistent drought / little change
- Brunswick - Some relief / conditions improving
- Burke - Some relief / conditions improving
- Catawba - Persistent drought / little change
- Chatham - Persistent drought / little change
- Cumberland - Persistent drought / little change
- Davie - Persistent drought / little change
- Durham - Persistent drought / little change
- Edgecombe - Persistent drought / little change
- Franklin - Persistent drought / little change
- Hertford - Persistent drought / little change
- Hoke - Persistent drought / little change
- Johnston - Persistent drought / little change
- Moore - Persistent drought / little change
- Orange - Persistent drought / little change
- Pender - Persistent drought / little change
- Sampson - Worsening / crop stress intensifying
- Washington - Persistent drought / little change
- Wilson - Persistent drought / little change
Abnormally Dry (9 counties)
- Beaufort - Persistent drought / little change
- Duplin - Persistent drought / little change
- Northampton - Persistent drought / little change
- Onslow - Persistent drought / little change
- Pamlico - Persistent drought / little change
- Perquimans - Persistent drought / little change
- Randolph - Persistent drought / little change
- Surry - Persistent drought / little change
- Yadkin - Persistent drought / little change
No mapped response (7 counties)
- Avery - Persistent drought / little change
- Caldwell - Persistent drought / little change
- Camden - Persistent drought / little change
- Cleveland - Some relief / conditions improving
- Gaston - Persistent drought / little change
- Haywood - Some relief / conditions improving
- Martin - Persistent drought / little change
Note: Map reflects county-reported drought classifications from the September 20, 2026 survey. Comment signal summarizes the tone of county narrative responses. Counties without a clearly mapped report remain unshaded.