Staff report

LUMBERTON — Most of Robeson County is doing “pretty darn good” at staying wet this year, according to the National Weather Service.

The storms that came through the area Tuesday afternoon and early this morning brought .54 inches of rain to the Lumberton Regional Airport, according to meteorologist Dave Loewenthal of the National Weather Service.

According to Loewenthal, most of the region received almost an inch of rain on Tuesday, with some isolated areas receiving 1.3 inches.

“The only places that didn’t get much at all are in northern Robeson County,” he said.

The showers took Lumberton’s total rainfall for July to 6.1 inches, which Loewenthal said is “pretty darn good.” There was no damage reported Tuesday, and the highest wind registered was at 15 mph, he said.

Mac Malloy, field crops specialist for the Agricultural Extension Service in Robeson County, said that so far crops in Robeson County have weathered the recent excessive heat well.

“We’ve had pretty decent moisture, so for the most part we’re in good shape,” he said. “The (weather) forecast is in our favor at this point.”

Peanuts, soybeans and cotton are the crops that are most affected by hot, dry weather at this time of the year, according to Malloy. He said that currently farmers must keep watch for possible insect infestations of field crops, which are not uncommon during the summer.

During the month of July, the northern part of the county is about 50 percent of normal, while the central part of the county at normal, Loewenthal said.

Loewenthal said the disparity is not unusual.

“Especially for summertime months,” he said. “You can get some very quirky amounts, even from a few miles away. You’ll get 2 inches in one place and zero inches five miles away.”

Since Jan. 1, Lumberton has received 27.6 inches of rain, which is 2.69 inches above normal, he said. That compares with coastal counties, which are below normal and in a drought.

Loewenthal said isolated afternoon showers can be expected for the rest of the week.

“We’ve been a little bit cooler than normal the past few days, but we’ll be getting back to more normal temps in a day or two,” he said, adding that high temperatures will be in the low-90s through the weekend.