‘Oppressive’ heat blankets Charlotte July 4 as neighboring county warns of drought
Ongoing lack of rain in the Charlotte region prompted an Iredell County utility on Wednesday to urge customers to cut back on non-essential water use.
And the National Weather Service warned of “oppressive heat” on Thursday, with predicted heat index values in the lower 100s.
The heat index value is what it feels like with temperature and humidity combined.
“Stay hydrated during afternoon festivities,” NWS meteorologists in the Greer, South Carolina, office said on X, the former Twitter.
The heat today will be oppressive. Stay hydrated during afternoon festivities. #ncwx #scwx #gawx pic.twitter.com/hD2Kd6vOM9
— NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) July 4, 2024
Iredell Water Corp. recommend reducing water usage “to protect the water supply now in case drought conditions worsen,” according to a company statement.
The membership-owned, non-profit utility provides public drinking water in 12 of the 16 townships in the county, outside areas served by Mooresville and Statesville.
“The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has designated Iredell County as an area of moderate drought, and the entire state is either designated as having abnormally dry, moderate drought, or severe drought intensity level,” according to the statement.
Rain prospects ‘do not look good’
The DEQ rates Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Gaston and Lincoln counties as abnormally dry, the lowest of five drought intensity ratings on the U.S Drought Monitor map. “Moderate drought” is the second-lowest rating on the map.
Little rain has fallen over the past six weeks, Iredell Water Corp. officials said. Combined with temperatures in the 90s the past few weeks, that’s led to “very dry conditions in our area,” according to the company statement, “and the prospects for rain in the near future do not look good.”
Customers are asked to reduce non-essential uses of water, including limiting at-home car washing and lawn and garden watering.
Ways to conserve water
Avoid letting faucets run while shaving or rinsing dishes and limit toilet flushing and use of washing machines and dish washers, officials recommend.
Limit showers to 4 minutes and reduce the hours of running water-cooled air conditioners.
Iredell Water asks customers with irrigation systems to use the following schedule:
Odd-numbered street addresses, 8 p.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday, and 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday.
Even-numbered street and unnumbered addresses, 8 p.m. Thursday to 8 a.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. Monday.
Residents, businesses and institutions should temporarily delay new landscape work until the water shortage has ended, according to Iredell Water.
Health warning for Mecklenburg, surrounding counties
The National Weather Service issued a health alert for Friday and Saturday afternoons in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties.
“The combination of heat and humidity could cause health issues for sensitive groups,” according to the warning by the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina, on Wednesday afternoon.
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality issued a Code Orange air quality warning for Mecklenburg and Iredell counties until 8 p.m. Wednesday.
“Ground level ozone concentrations within the region may approach or exceed unhealthy standards,” according to the alert.
Charlotte forecast
Thursday in Charlotte should be sunny and hot, with a high of 96, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast. Friday is predicted to reach 99 degrees and a heat index value of 106.
Rain could finally return on Saturday, according to the NWS. Showers and thunderstorms are likely after 1 p.m. The chance of precipitation is 60%, with a forecast high of 95.
Sunday and Monday have a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with predicted highs of 90 on Sunday, 92 on Monday, 93 on Tuesday and 91 on Wednesday.
