Last Updated on July 18, 2024 4:55 pm
In the latest drought update for North Carolina, conditions have worsened for the High Country despite recent rains.
The southeastern section of Watauga County is in severe drought conditions, while the rest of the county is in moderate drought or abnormally dry status.
Ashe County is nearly a 50/50 split between abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions.
Avery County is nearly all in moderate drought status.
The weekly update, put out by the North Carolina Drought Management Council, shows 2 counties in the Extreme Drought status, 26 counties in the Severe Drought category, 49 counties in Moderate Drought, and 21 counties in Abnormally Dry status.
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
Columbus
Yadkin
Total: 2
D2 – Severe Drought
Alexander
Bladen
Burke
Caldwell
Catawba
Cherokee
Clay
Davidson
Davie
Forsyth
Graham
Greene
Guilford
Haywood
Iredell
Lenoir
Pitt
Robeson
Rockingham
Rowan
Stokes
Surry
Swain
Watauga
Wayne
Wilkes
Total: 26
D1 – Moderate Drought
Alamance
Alleghany
Anson
Ashe
Avery
Beaufort
Bertie
Buncombe
Cabarrus
Carteret
Caswell
Chatham
Cleveland
Craven
Cumberland
Duplin
Durham
Edgecombe
Harnett
Henderson
Hoke
Jackson
Johnston
Jones
Lee
Lincoln
Macon
Madison
Martin
McDowell
Mecklenburg
Mitchell
Montgomery
Moore
Orange
Pamlico
Pender
Person
Polk
Randolph
Richmond
Rutherford
Sampson
Scotland
Stanly
Transylvania
Wake
Wilson
Yancey
Total: 49
D0 – Abnormally Dry
Brunswick
Chowan
Dare
Franklin
Gaston
Gates
Granville
Halifax
Hertford
Hyde
Nash
New Hanover
Northampton
Onslow
Pasquotank
Perquimans
Tyrrell
Union
Vance
Warren
Washington
Total: 21
The post Drought Monitor Update – Thursday, July 18, 2024 appeared first on WataugaOnline.com.