Drought Monitor Update – Thursday, December 7, 2023

Last Updated on December 7, 2023 12:17 pm

In the latest drought update, Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties continue in the severe drought category.

The weekly update, put out by the North Carolina Drought Management Council, shows 13 counties in the Extreme Drought status, 29 counties in the Severe Drought category, 25 counties in Moderate Drought, and 18 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

• Burke
• Cherokee
• Clay
• Cleveland
• Graham
• Henderson
• Jackson
• Macon
• McDowell
• Polk
• Rutherford
• Swain
• Transylvania

Total: 13

D2 – Severe Drought

• Alexander
• Alleghany
• Anson
• Ashe
• Avery
• Buncombe
• Caldwell
• Caswell
• Catawba
• Davidson
• Davie
• Forsyth
• Gaston
• Guilford
• Haywood
• Iredell
• Lincoln
• Mitchell
• Rockingham
• Rowan
• Stanly
• Stokes
• Surry
• Union
• Vance
• Warren
• Watauga
• Wilkes
• Yadkin

Total: 29

D1 – Moderate Drought

• Alamance
• Cabarrus
• Camden
• Chatham
• Currituck
• Durham
• Franklin
• Granville
• Hoke
• Lee
• Madison
• Mecklenburg
• Montgomery
• Moore
• Onslow
• Orange
• Pasquotank
• Pender
• Perquimans
• Person
• Randolph
• Richmond
• Robeson
• Scotland
• Yancey

Total: 25

D0 – Abnormally Dry

• Bladen
• Brunswick
• Chowan
• Columbus
• Cumberland
• Dare
• Duplin
• Gates
• Halifax
• Harnett
• Hyde
• Johnston
• Jones
• Nash
• New Hanover
• Sampson
• Tyrrell
• Wake

Total: 18