Last Updated on June 18, 2026 5:10 pm
Exceptional Drought (D4) has more than doubled in North Carolina, expanding from 4 to 10 counties. Wake County (Raleigh) and Guilford County (Greensboro) are among the six counties that moved to the highest drought classification this week, along with Caswell, Franklin, Person, and Rockingham.
Extreme Drought (D3) also expanded, rising from 37 to 42 counties as conditions worsened across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
In the High Country, conditions are unchanged. Watauga, Ashe, and Wilkes counties remain in Extreme Drought (D3). Alleghany, Avery, and Caldwell counties remain in Severe Drought (D2).
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
- Franklin
- Granville
- Guilford
- Orange
- Person
- Rockingham
- Wake
Total: 10
D3 – Extreme Drought
- Alexander
- Anson
- Ashe
- Bertie
- Brunswick
- Cabarrus
- Chatham
- Cherokee
- Columbus
- Cumberland
- Davidson
- Davie
- Edgecombe
- Forsyth
- Graham
- Greene
- Halifax
- Haywood
- Iredell
- Jackson
- Johnston
- Lee
- Lenoir
- Macon
- Martin
- Montgomery
- Nash
- Northampton
- Pitt
- Randolph
- Richmond
- Rowan
- Scotland
- Stanly
- Stokes
- Swain
- Vance
- Warren
- Watauga
- Wilkes
- Wilson
- Yadkin
Total: 42
D2 – Severe Drought
- Alleghany
- Avery
- Beaufort
- Bladen
- Burke
- Caldwell
- Camden
- Carteret
- Catawba
- Chowan
- Clay
- Cleveland
- Craven
- Currituck
- Dare
- Duplin
- Gaston
- Gates
- Harnett
- Henderson
- Hertford
- Hoke
- Hyde
- Jones
- Lincoln
- McDowell
- Mecklenburg
- Mitchell
- Moore
- New Hanover
- Onslow
- Pamlico
- Pasquotank
- Pender
- Perquimans
- Polk
- Robeson
- Rutherford
- Sampson
- Surry
- Transylvania
- Tyrrell
- Union
- Washington
- Wayne
- Yancey
Total: 46
D1 – Moderate Drought
- Buncombe
- Madison
Total: 2
Residents are strongly encouraged to continue water conservation efforts and stay informed about local drought conditions.
