The Triangle is faring worse than most of North Carolina. A new map of the deepening drought was released Thursday. Map: U.S. Drought Monitor
North Carolina'sdrought continues to worsen, putting pressure on the water supply and stunting vegetation across the state.
That's particularly true in the western Triangle, where yesterday the drought was reclassified as exceptional, the most severe.
The big picture: The Piedmont's groundwater levels are "at or near record lows" and local hay, corn and soybean crops are under stress, the National Weather Service in Raleigh noted yesterday.
The latest: Durham stepped up water conservation measures yesterday as reservoir levels drop to unseasonable lows.
