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MODOC, S.C. (AP) -- A drought is again hitting South Carolina and many areas of the Southeast.

That marks the ninth year in the last 11 that some part of South Carolina has unusually dry weather.

Some part of the Southeast has been in a severe drought since the summer of 2010 and some hope rain from a tropical storm can help some.

The dry weather worries farmers, boaters and municipal water works that depend heavily on rivers and streams that feed lakes and reservoirs.

Some researchers say forecasting weather patterns is good enough now to more carefully control how much water goes into and out of the dozens of lakes created by dams six decades ago. The water released from the dams is critical because it is often arbitrary, based on decades of averages, instead of hour-by-hour monitoring that is possible with today's technology.

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