Virginia DEQ Expands Drought Watch Advisory

RICHMOND, Va.– The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force report 44 counties are now under the advisory.

According to a release, a drought watch advisory is intended to help people prepare for a potential drought.

Locally, the counties of Greene, Louisa, Madison and Orange are under the advisory. The area is currently about five inches below normal for rainfall for the year.

Other counties in Virginia that are under it include Accomack, Northampton, Caroline, Essex, Gloucester, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond, Westmoreland, Culpeper, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Patrick, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Pittsylvania, Roanoke, Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren.

DEQ monitors and evaluates hydrologic and water supply conditions and evaluates drought conditions following guidance in the Virginia Drought Assessment and Response Plan. The Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force (DMTF) is responsible for making recommendations for Drought Stage declarations. The DMTF last met on April 29, 2025 to discuss the status of drought monitoring and hydrologic conditions in the Commonwealth. The most recent DMTF report can be found in the resources section of this page. The DMTF is scheduled to meet next on May 13, 2025. 

DEQ uses the indicators shown below to gauge the presence and severity of hydrologic drought across 13 Drought Evaluation Regions. The Current Drought Conditions Map displays the status of each of these indicators for each region. 

Drought Indicators and key to Drought Maps: