By Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi
After a wet start to the year, drought headlines in California have largely faded. However, drought conditions now appear to be intensifying in several western states (e.g., Colorado, Utah, among others), as well as on the East Coast in the Carolinas.
Much of North Carolina is now facing emerging drought concerns that could ripple across multiple industries. Recent conditions have triggered renewed warnings about “water bankruptcy” and prompted calls for conservation. In April, several cities across the state have begun implementing mandatory water restrictions, signaling an effort to act early and avoid more severe measures.
North Carolina is no stranger to drought. The droughts of 2002 and 2007–2008 pushed many utilities close to the brink, with some communities coming close to running out of water. To this day, images of Falls Lake at record lows still shape how utility managers think about risk. In response, utilities expanded drought plans, diversified supply, and increasingly focused on managing demand.
Yet each new drought tends to feel urgent in its own way. As water levels fall, utilities are again forced into high-stakes decisions about how to stretch limited supplies.
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