Wednesday, the South Carolina Drought Response Committee met in Columbia and lowered the drought status for the counties in our area, the Grand Strand and the Pee Dee, to incipient, the first phase of drought.

Our counties were previously at moderate.

Abbeville, McCormick, Edgefield and Aiken in the Savannah River Basin remain at severe, the third level of drought.

Oconee, Pickens and Anderson counties were downgraded to moderate.

Saluda, Greenwood, Greenville, Newberry and Laurens counties remain at moderate.

All other counties in the state were lowered to or remained at incipient level.