Severe drought hits northern Kanawha County; moderate drought affects remainder of local area

Data released Thursday shows parts of northern Kanawha County are currently under a severe drought.Photo byHUUMonUnsplash

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Areas of northern Kanawha County are currently under a severe drought, while the rest of the local area is experiencing a moderate dry spell, according to recently released data.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, an online tool developed by three national services, revealed the area's drought status in their latest map release, out on Thursday. The tool is maintained by the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), all federal agencies.

According to the provided data, an estimated 193,063 residents of Kanawha County live in areas currently affected by drought.

On Thursday, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Charleston issued a drought information statement for the region.

"Overall, conditions continue to be dry with many areas only receiving 25 to 50 percent of normal rainfall," the report reads. "Temperatures continue to run above normal with the highest anomalies observed across the mountains."

On Friday, Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency in all 55 counties "to support West Virginia’s farming community."

Drought is affecting most areas of the state. On Friday, Gov. Jim Justice declared a drought-related state of emergency in all 55 counties.Photo byDrought Monitor

“This drought has plagued West Virginia farmers, putting them at risk of losing everything,” Justice said in a statement. “We cannot and will not stand by and watch our hardworking farmers suffer from this severe lack of rain."

Recently, half of a blueberry crop was lost to drought in Mason County, officials said.

But it's not just farmers who could be impacted by the current conditions.

"Water supply may be negatively affected for communities that depend on water from nearby creeks and rivers," the NWS statement warns. "Water quality may become adversely impacted as well."

The current drought is impacting inflow into some bodies of water in the state, including Stonewall Jackson Lake in Lewis County. The NWS says some recreational impacts have been reported at Tygart Lake near Grafton.

"We understand the immense stress and hardship this drought has caused," Justice said. "Our Emergency Management Division is working tirelessly.”

NWS officials contend that the conditions will likely improve over the next several weeks.

"Overall improvement in drought conditions is possible through the remainder of the summer months with chances for above normal precipitation in the short and long-range outlooks," NWS officials said Thursday.

But, they warn, overall temperatures could play an important factor in recovering.

"Even near normal rainfall combined with above normal temperatures would result in drought persistence," officials said.