Jacob (Jack) Scheff discusses Charlotte drought on WCNC

Jacob (Jack) Scheff, Ph.D., associate professor in UNC Charlotte’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences, joined WCNC for the segment “Drought conditions intensify across Charlotte region.”

Charlotte’s worsening drought is now visible across the area, with creeks running low, soil hardening and lawns and golf courses showing significant stress after six months of less than half the usual rainfall.

Parts of the region have reached exceptional drought, the most severe category, and workers who depend on healthy turf report the toughest conditions they have seen. Because dry soil absorbs water poorly, even recent rain offers little relief. Officials warn it will take months of steady precipitation to restore soil moisture, refill waterways and ease pressure on landscapes and water use.

“We’ve missed out on a lot of rain systems and rainy weather patterns over the last fall, winter and spring. We’ve had less than half the usual rain over the last six months,” Scheff said. “So think about how much water we need to fill all of Lake Norman three more feet. That’s a lot of rain. We’re not going to get out of this tomorrow. It would take a few months of plenty of rain to get Lake Norman back to where it should be.”

Watch the full segment and read more.