Sam Walker from OBXNews.com
Recent heavy rains have helped parts of eastern North Carolina emerge from drought conditions, but the rest of the state remains drier.
According to Thursday's latest update of the North Carolina Drought Monitor Map, Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank and parts of Gates counties are the only areas of the state that are not considered abnormally dry.
Dare and Hyde counties remain listed as experiencing abnormally dry conditions.
The stationary front dumped more than 8 inches of rain near Sunbury, North Carolina, and 3 to 5 inches were reported elsewhere in the region, bringing many places out of moderate drought conditions.
More rain is expected to fall in the region over the weekend, with several inches of rain already recorded in the Outer Banks and eastern North Carolina since Wednesday night.
Elizabeth City recorded 4.08 inches on Thursday, setting a new record for July 18th.
But the rains may have come too late for many farmers to save this year's corn crop, according to the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Committee and the North Carolina Climate Department.
More rain is expected early next week as a cold front stalls over the region, with some heavy downpours possible in some locations, possibly causing flash flooding.
