Last Updated on July 2, 2026 12:03 pm

North Carolina's drought showed significant improvement this week, with Moderate Drought (D1) expanding from 2 to 15 counties and Exceptional Drought (D4) shrinking from 10 to 8 counties.

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

The eastern part of the state saw the most improvement, with 13 counties dropping from D2 to D1 — Moderate Drought. Franklin and Wake counties also improved, dropping from D4 to D3.

The weekly update, put out by the North Carolina Drought Management Council, shows all 100 counties experiencing some level of drought.

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

  • Alamance

  • Caswell

  • Durham

  • Granville

  • Guilford

  • Orange

  • Person

  • Rockingham

Total: 8

D3 – Extreme Drought

  • Alexander

  • Anson

  • Brunswick

  • Cabarrus

  • Chatham

  • Columbus

  • Cumberland

  • Davidson

  • Davie

  • Duplin

  • Forsyth

  • Franklin

  • Graham

  • Greene

  • Halifax

  • Harnett

  • Haywood

  • Iredell

  • Jackson

  • Johnston

  • Lee

  • Lenoir

  • Macon

  • Martin

  • Montgomery

  • Nash

  • Pender

  • Pitt

  • Randolph

  • Richmond

  • Rowan

  • Sampson

  • Scotland

  • Stanly

  • Stokes

  • Swain

  • Vance

  • Wake

  • Warren

  • Wilkes

  • Yadkin

Total: 41

D2 – Severe Drought

  • Alleghany

  • Ashe

  • Avery

  • Beaufort

  • Bertie

  • Bladen

  • Burke

  • Caldwell

  • Catawba

  • Cherokee

  • Clay

  • Cleveland

  • Craven

  • Edgecombe

  • Gaston

  • Henderson

  • Hertford

  • Hoke

  • Jones

  • Lincoln

  • McDowell

  • Mecklenburg

  • Mitchell

  • Moore

  • New Hanover

  • Northampton

  • Polk

  • Robeson

  • Rutherford

  • Surry

  • Transylvania

  • Union

  • Watauga

  • Wayne

  • Wilson

  • Yancey

Total: 36

D1 – Moderate Drought

  • Buncombe

  • Camden

  • Carteret

  • Chowan

  • Currituck

  • Dare

  • Gates

  • Hyde

  • Madison

  • Onslow

  • Pamlico

  • Pasquotank

  • Perquimans

  • Tyrrell

  • Washington

Total: 15

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

The post Drought Monitor Update — Thursday July 2, 2026 appeared first on WataugaOnline.com.

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