Last Updated on April 30, 2026 10:14 am
North Carolina's drought has reached its worst level yet, with Exceptional Drought (D4) — the highest classification on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale — appearing in the state for the first time in this drought cycle. Union County, south of Charlotte, is the first county to reach D4.
Extreme Drought (D3) has expanded to 61 counties, up from 47 last week. Six weeks ago, only 7 counties were at D3.
In the High Country, Ashe County has moved to Extreme Drought (D3) this week, joining Watauga, Avery, Caldwell, and Wilkes counties which were already at that level. Only Alleghany County remains in Severe Drought (D2) — the last High Country county not yet at D3.
Fourteen counties moved to D3 this week, including major population centers like Forsyth (Winston-Salem), Guilford (Greensboro), Cumberland (Fayetteville), and Gaston. More than 60 percent of North Carolina's 100 counties are now in Extreme or Exceptional Drought.
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.
D4 – Exceptional Drought
Union
Total: 1
D3 – Extreme Drought
Alamance
Alexander
Anson
Ashe
Avery
Brunswick
Buncombe
Burke
Cabarrus
Caldwell
Caswell
Catawba
Chatham
Cherokee
Clay
Cleveland
Columbus
Cumberland
Davidson
Davie
Durham
Edgecombe
Forsyth
Franklin
Gaston
Graham
Granville
Guilford
Halifax
Haywood
Henderson
Hoke
Iredell
Jackson
Lincoln
Macon
Madison
McDowell
Mecklenburg
Mitchell
Montgomery
Nash
Northampton
Orange
Person
Polk
Randolph
Richmond
Rockingham
Rowan
Rutherford
Scotland
Stanly
Swain
Transylvania
Vance
Wake
Warren
Watauga
Wilkes
Yancey
Total: 61
D2 – Severe Drought
Alleghany
Beaufort
Bertie
Bladen
Carteret
Craven
Dare
Duplin
Greene
Harnett
Hertford
Hyde
Johnston
Jones
Lee
Lenoir
Martin
Moore
New Hanover
Onslow
Pamlico
Pender
Pitt
Robeson
Sampson
Stokes
Surry
Tyrrell
Washington
Wayne
Wilson
Yadkin
Total: 32
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 30, 2026 appeared first on WataugaOnline.com.