Drought gets worse; some crops in peril

COLUMBIA - Federal officials have put parts of five counties in the northwestern corner of the state in an exceptional drought - the worst category in the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The northwest third of the state is in extreme drought, and dry conditions exist across the rest of South Carolina.

Forecasters say the state will likely be drier than normal through the summer.

The National Weather Service says parts of the Upstate are as much as 20 inches below normal rainfall in the past 12 months, marking the driest period in more than 60 years.

State Agriculture Department marketing specialist Brad Boozer says crops corn, soybeans, peanuts and cotton are in a critical stage for growth and could be wiped out without rain.

The state plans a meeting of a drought committee at the end of the month to assess conditions.