Cameron Craig, an Eastern geographer, said the Charleston area has had an official drought status for two weeks.

Though Eastern and the surrounding area received rainfall Monday night, Craig said this will not be enough to end the drought.

“To help reverse this drought we need several days of slow, continuous rainfall,” he said.

Craig said the rain must fall slowly in order for it to be absorbed by the ground. He said a rapid downpour, such as that of a thunderstorm, would tear up the parched ground and would evaporate much quicker.

Craig said any rainfall the area received recently has been too minimal to make much of a difference.

“We got a trace, that’s all,” He said.

Craig said the hot surface of the ground made it evaporate very quickly.

He said the 30-year average rainfall for the month of June in this area is 4.03 inches. However, this past June the Charleston area received only .93 inches of rainfall.

Craig said because there is less water in the soil to absorb heat, the lack of rain results in higher temperatures for the area.

He said he has never seen this many days in a row where the average temperature is above 90 degrees in Charleston.

Though other parts of the state have been receiving more rain, Craig said Charleston simply has not been beneath the jet stream creating that weather.

He said the drought in this area is considered moderate while other areas of the state are facing severe droughts.

Craig said it should take one to two weeks more of minimal rainfall for Charleston to enter into a severe drought.

He said water consumption during a drought is a major concern.

“Your lawn should be brown,” Craig said. “People shouldn’t be watering their lawns.”

He also said any type of activity involving fire, such as fireworks or bonfires, are much more dangerous.

The Charleston Fire Department has put out an emergency ban on open burning. Fire Chief Pat Goodwin said this does not include grilling equipment.

Seth Schroeder can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].