Last Updated on November 20, 2019 6:00 pm
In the latest drought update, Watauga and Avery counties have now been placed in the severe catorgory while Ashe remains in moderate drought.
The weekly
48 counties are in moderate drought, that's up by three from last week. 12 counties are in abnormally dry status, last week it stood at 22.
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.
For the contiguous 48 states, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 19.28 percent of the area in moderate drought or worse, compared with 17.37 percent a week earlier.
Drought now affects 60,191,797 people, compared with 52,818,428 a week earlier.
For all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 16.96 percent of the area in moderate drought or worse, compared with 16.23 percent a week earlier.
Drought now affects 60,851,009 people, compared with 53,942,233 a week earlier.
D2 Severe Drought
Avery
Cherokee
Clay
Gaston
Macon
Mitchell
Stokes
Watauga
Yancey
Total: 9
D1 Moderate Drought
Alamance
Alexander
Alleghany
Ashe
Buncombe
Burke
Cabarrus
Caldwell
Caswell
Catawba
Chatham
Cleveland
Davidson
Davie
Durham
Forsyth
Franklin
Graham
Granville
Guilford
Haywood
Henderson
Iredell
Jackson
Lee
Lincoln
Madison
McDowell
Mecklenburg
Montgomery
Moore
Orange
Person
Polk
Randolph
Richmond
Rockingham
Rowan
Rutherford
Scotland
Stanly
Surry
Transylvania
Union
Vance
Warren
Wilkes
Yadkin
Total: 48
D0 Abnormally Dry
Anson
Cumberland
Halifax
Harnett
Hoke
Johnston
Nash
Northampton
Robeson
Swain
Wake
Wilson
Total: 12
