Rain not nearly enough
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on December 17, 2007 1:45 PM
Most of Wayne County and surrounding areas received two inches of rain over the weekend.
Officials at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base said they recorded 1.96 inches of rainfall on Saturday and Sunday.
It was the most rain the area has seen in months and was enough to settle the dust, but officials say it was far too little to have much effect on the drought the region is currently suffering through.
Water restrictions set in place earlier this year remain in effect.
The Neuse River level was expected to rise about two feet by Tuesday but is expected to fall back to its current level before week's end.
More rain isn't forecast for the are until at least Thursday night. Experts say the region needs two feet of rain over the next few months months to get water levels back to close to normal, but national forecasters say that isn't likely. A relatively dry winter is forecast, following on the heels of a dry spring, summer and fall.
The weekend rain was heavier farther east. Some coastal areas reported as much as three inches of rain.