5 counties out of drought

The South Carolina Drought Response Committee says five more counties are no longer in a drought.
   
The committee met Tuesday near Columbia and added Chesterfield, Darlington, Hampton, Jasper and Beaufort to the growing list of 16 counties no longer in a drought.
   
Nine counties in the Upstate remain in an extreme drought. State climatologist Hope Mizzell says that designation was kept because of forecasts that are calling for below-normal rainfall through April.
   
Ten counties remain classified as being in a severe drought and three are in moderate drought conditions. Eight counties remain in the earliest stage of drought known as incipient.