Last Updated on November 16, 2023 11:45 am
In the latest drought update, Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties are in the severe drought category.
The weekly update, put out by the North Carolina Drought Management Council, shows 9 counties in the Extreme Drought status, 30 counties in the Severe Drought category – that is up from 14 last week, 40 counties in Moderate Drought, and 17 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
Cherokee
Clay
Cleveland
Graham
Henderson
Macon
Polk
Rutherford
Transylvania
Total: 9
D2 – Severe Drought
Alexander
Alleghany
Anson
Ashe
Avery
Burke
Cabarrus
Caldwell
Catawba
Davie
Forsyth
Gaston
Hoke
Iredell
Jackson
Lincoln
McDowell
Mecklenburg
Moore
Richmond
Robeson
Rowan
Scotland
Stokes
Surry
Swain
Union
Watauga
Wilkes
Yadkin
Total: 30
D1 – Moderate Drought
Alamance
Bladen
Brunswick
Buncombe
Camden
Caswell
Chatham
Columbus
Cumberland
Currituck
Dare
Davidson
Duplin
Durham
Franklin
Granville
Guilford
Harnett
Haywood
Jones
Lee
Madison
Mitchell
Montgomery
New Hanover
Onslow
Orange
Pasquotank
Pender
Perquimans
Person
Randolph
Rockingham
Sampson
Stanly
Tyrrell
Vance
Wake
Warren
Yancey
Total: 40
D0 – Abnormally Dry
Beaufort
Bertie
Chowan
Craven
Edgecombe
Gates
Greene
Halifax
Hertford
Hyde
Johnston
Lenoir
Martin
Nash
Washington
Wayne
Wilson
Total: 17
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