Drought Monitor Update – Thursday, December 28, 2023

Last Updated on December 28, 2023 5:04 pm

In the latest drought update, Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties remain in the moderate drought category, with a section of Watauga improving to the abnormally dry status.

The weekly update, put out by the North Carolina Drought Management Council, shows zero counties in the Extreme Drought status, 5 counties in the Severe Drought category, 31 counties in Moderate Drought, and 31 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.

D2 – Severe Drought

• Cherokee
• Clay
• Graham
• Macon
• Swain

Total: 5

D1 – Moderate Drought

• Alexander
• Alleghany
• Anson
• Ashe
• Avery
• Buncombe
• Burke
• Caldwell
• Catawba
• Cleveland
• Davie
• Gaston
• Haywood
• Henderson
• Iredell
• Jackson
• Lincoln
• McDowell
• Mitchell
• Polk
• Rowan
• Rutherford
• Stanly
• Stokes
• Surry
• Transylvania
• Union
• Watauga
• Wilkes
• Yadkin
• Yancey

Total: 31

D0 – Abnormally Dry

• Alamance
• Cabarrus
• Caswell
• Chatham
• Cumberland
• Dare
• Davidson
• Durham
• Forsyth
• Franklin
• Granville
• Guilford
• Hoke
• Lee
• Madison
• Mecklenburg
• Montgomery
• Moore
• Onslow
• Orange
• Pasquotank
• Pender
• Person
• Randolph
• Richmond
• Robeson
• Rockingham
• Scotland
• Tyrrell
• Vance
• Warren

Total: 31