Fay drops five inches here, but drought persists
By JOE L. HUGHES II Ledger Staff Writer joe@gaffneyledger.com

Prayers for rain were answered this week as several inches of precipitation fell on Cherokee County.

The National Weather Service in Greer reported five inches of rain was dumped on the county since Monday from remnants of Hurricane Fay. More than eight inches of rain was reported in Charlotte, while Chester received just shy of seven inches during the same time span.

"It was good to get some rainfall here locally," said National Weather Service meteorologist Doug Outlaw. "Gaffney was one of those places that got a good amount of rainfall."

Outlaw said the rain was enough to cause creeks and small streams to swell, but there was no threat of rivers flooding in the area.

"The levels have been so low around here that even this large amount of rain isn't expected to cause any flooding," Outlaw said. "That's a testament to how dry it has been."

While the rain delivered relief to parched lawns and farm ponds, it did little for the drought the county is experiencing.

"It's very unlikely that this will be a drought breaker," Outlaw said. "Since we're in the worst drought category it will take a lot for us to eradicate the deficit."

The state's Climatology Office designated Cherokee as one of 13 South Carolina counties suffering an "extreme" drought.

Outlaw said there is a slight chance of rain on Friday, with the rainy weather expected to clear out of the area by the weekend.

Another tropical system, Gustav, is churning toward the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected by meteorologists to become a hurricane, threatening Texas and Louisiana.

However, Outlaw said Gustav should have little or no effect here. Tropical Storm Hanna is another story. While it is not projected to hit land until next week, Outlaw believes the system is something to watch.

"Hurricane season lasts until Nov. 30; things can change," Outlaw said. "We have to wait and see, things can always change."