South Carolina Landscapers: Hurt by Drought, But Still Kicking

The azaleas and marigolds are stressed by the area's lack of rain, but the lilies and the crepe myrtles are doing fine, area landscapers say.

What rain we've had in the last week is not enough to pull the area out of a beginning drought stage, said Hope Mizzell, state climatologist. But if rain patterns continue, the Department of Natural Resources may be able to downgrade its declaration of an incipient drought -- the first of four levels of severity.

"The declaration was due to eight months of below-normal rainfall. That's not going to be made up with one week of normal rainfall," said Mizzell, adding the DNR will reconsider its declaration in about two weeks.

Three-fourths of the state is below normal for the month, with some areas 30 to 40 percent behind, she said. Rain has been spotty, with some areas getting a lot and others getting very little.

Rock Hill has gotten 2.29 inches of rain so far this month, including .82 inches on Tuesday, but is still about 8 inches behind for the year.

The area normally would have about 20 inches by this time but Rock Hill has had only 12.71 inches, said Bill Culp Jr., a National Weather Service observer.

"It's down a good little bit for the year," he said.

Temperatures in Rock Hill the last few days have been below normal, said Wes Tyler of the state climatologist's office. "It's bounced around some, but you haven't had a heat wave and people will take some comfort in that."

Chester County's rainfall is about 50 percent below normal, Tyler said. The county has had 12 inches of rain this year; 11 inches below normal.

Charlotte has gotten more rain, said Rodney Hinson, a National Weather Service meteorologist. As of Tuesday morning, the city had 3.14 inches this month, about 1.61 inches above normal, but still 6.8 inches below the average.

"The drought is definitely a concern," Hinson said.

Rivers in South Carolina are flowing at lower water levels, but local levels are at or above normal, said Mary Kathryn Green with Duke Power.

Lake Wylie on Tuesday was 97.3 feet, according to Duke Power. The lake is considered full at 100 feet. The Broad River on York County's west side was over 100 feet.

"We've been operating conservatively and prudently all year," said Green. "We're looking pretty good right now."

Homeowners looking for a more reliable water supply are calling area landscapers for irrigation systems, said Bobby Evans, owner of Carolina Landscaping in Fort Mill.

Installing irrigation systems, which start at around $2,000, takes up a third of his business, he said. "Customers are complaining there is no rain."

Lynda Hunter, owner of Yannotti Complete Lawn Care and Landscaping, won't plant new shrubs in a yard without an irrigation system because the lack of rain is hard on new plants, she said. The dry weather also makes plants susceptible to insects, which are on the rise because of the mild winter.

Homeowners need to water every other day and make sure the soil is soaked at least 1 1/2 inches deep, she said.

"This spring has been worse than in the past," she said. "It's hard on a lot of plants."