Drought Monitor Update – Thursday, November 16, 2023

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