Last Updated on April 9, 2026 9:54 am
North Carolina's drought continues to intensify for the third straight week, with Extreme Drought expanding to 23 counties — up from 15 last week and just 7 two weeks ago.
Wilkes County has moved to Extreme Drought (D3) status. Watauga, Ashe, Avery, Alleghany, and Caldwell counties remain in Severe Drought (D2).
Eight counties moved to D3 this week, including Buncombe County — home to Asheville — along with Alexander, Davie, Haywood, Iredell, Northampton, Warren, and Wilkes. The expansion brings Extreme Drought conditions from the western mountains through the Charlotte metro and 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
- Edgecombe
- Graham
- Halifax
- Haywood
- Iredell
- Jackson
- Macon
- Mecklenburg
- Nash
- Northampton
- Rowan
- Stanly
- Swain
- Union
- Warren
- Wilkes
Total: 23
D2 – Severe Drought
- Alamance
- Alleghany
- Ashe
- Avery
- Beaufort
- Bertie
- Bladen
- Brunswick
- Burke
- Caldwell
- Carteret
- Caswell
- Catawba
- Chatham
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Craven
- Cumberland
- Dare
- Davidson
- Duplin
- Durham
- Forsyth
- Franklin
- Gaston
- Granville
- Greene
- Guilford
- Harnett
- Henderson
- 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
- Scotland
- Stokes
- Surry
- Transylvania
- Tyrrell
- Vance
- Wake
- Washington
- Watauga
- Wayne
- Wilson
- Yadkin
- Yancey
Total: 71
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.
