A severe local drought – one of three in the US right now – has nearly emptied Falls Lake, the only water supply for North Carolina’s capital city.

Read (Christian Science Monitor)

Here in Salem, we’ve [received 5.6″ less](http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/RNK/CLIROA “NOAA”) rain than average this year, but Carvins Cove, which is the reservoir for the city of Roanoke, is actually up [1.4 feet above](http://www.westernvawater.org/WebMgmt/ywbase61b.nsf/vwContentByKey/N2626JNT105PLESEN “Western Virginia Water Authority”) the average water level.