Last Updated on April 16, 2026 10:11 am

North Carolina's drought continues to deepen for the fourth straight week, with Extreme Drought expanding to 30 counties — up from 23 last week and just 7 one month ago.

In the High Country, Wilkes County remains in Extreme Drought (D3). Watauga, Ashe, Avery, Alleghany, and Caldwell counties remain in Severe Drought (D2).

Seven counties moved to D3 this week, including Wake County — home to Raleigh — along with Durham, Granville, Henderson, Scotland, Transylvania, and Vance. The expansion means Extreme Drought now stretches from the western mountains through the Triangle and Charlotte metro into the northeastern Coastal Plain.

The weekly update, put out by the North Carolina Drought Management Council, shows all 100 counties experiencing some level of drought, with only six counties in the far northeast remaining at Moderate Drought (D1).

Drought categories are based on streamflow, groundwater levels, the amount of water stored in reservoirs, soil moisture, the time of year, and other relevant factors for assessing the extent and severity of dry conditions.

D3 – Extreme Drought

  • Alexander

  • Anson

  • Buncombe

  • Cabarrus

  • Cherokee

  • Clay

  • Davie

  • Durham

  • Edgecombe

  • Graham

  • Granville

  • Halifax

  • Haywood

  • Henderson

  • Iredell

  • Jackson

  • Macon

  • Mecklenburg

  • Nash

  • Northampton

  • Rowan

  • Scotland

  • Stanly

  • Swain

  • Transylvania

  • Union

  • Vance

  • Wake

  • Warren

  • Wilkes

Total: 30

D2 – Severe Drought

  • Alamance

  • Alleghany

  • Ashe

  • Avery

  • Beaufort

  • Bertie

  • Bladen

  • Brunswick

  • Burke

  • Caldwell

  • Carteret

  • Caswell

  • Catawba

  • Chatham

  • Cleveland

  • Columbus

  • Craven

  • Cumberland

  • Dare

  • Davidson

  • Duplin

  • Forsyth

  • Franklin

  • Gaston

  • Greene

  • Guilford

  • Harnett

  • Hertford

  • Hoke

  • Hyde

  • Johnston

  • Jones

  • Lee

  • Lenoir

  • Lincoln

  • Madison

  • Martin

  • McDowell

  • Mitchell

  • Montgomery

  • Moore

  • New Hanover

  • Onslow

  • Orange

  • Pamlico

  • Pender

  • Person

  • Pitt

  • Polk

  • Randolph

  • Richmond

  • Robeson

  • Rockingham

  • Rutherford

  • Sampson

  • Stokes

  • Surry

  • Tyrrell

  • Washington

  • Watauga

  • Wayne

  • Wilson

  • Yadkin

  • Yancey

Total: 64

D1 – Moderate Drought

  • Camden

  • Chowan

  • Currituck

  • Gates

  • Pasquotank

  • Perquimans

Total: 6

Residents are strongly encouraged to continue water conservation efforts and stay informed about local drought conditions.

The post Drought Monitor Update — Thursday April 16, 2026 appeared first on WataugaOnline.com.

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