All of Virginia Under Drought Watch or Warning Advisory

Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - All localities in Virginia are under either a drought watch or drought warning advisory as of Monday, June 24, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

Virginia DEQ said 12 of Virginia’s counties are under a drought warning advisory and the state’s remaining 95 counties and cities are under a drought watch advisory.

Officials say these conditions are the result of lower-than-normal stream flows and declining groundwater levels, reportedly worsened by lack of rain and high temperatures.

“Precipitation deficits in combination with increased temperatures have resulted in rapid intensification of drought throughout the majority of the Commonwealth with substantial below-normal observations noted within the Northern Virginia and Shenandoah drought evaluation regions,” the organization said.

A drought warning advisory indicates a significant drought is “imminent,” the Virginia DEQ said.

This drought warning advisory is in effect for the Shenandoah region, which includes Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren, and Clarke counties, and for the Northern Virginia Region which includes Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, and Fairfax counties.

A drought watch advisory means Virginians should prepare for a possible drought, according to the release. The following counties and cities are under this drought watch advisory:

• Big Sandy : Lee, Wise, Buchanan, Dickenson, Scott, Russell, Tazewell, Washington, and Smyth counties
• Chowan : Lunenburg, Nottoway, Brunswick, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Sussex, Prince George, Southampton, and Surry counties
• Eastern Shore : Accomack and Northampton counties
• New River : Grayson, Wythe, Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Pulaski, Giles, and Montgomery counties
• Northern Coastal Plain : Caroline, King George, King William, King and Queen, Essex, Richmond, Westmoreland, Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, Lancaster, and Northumberland counties
• Northern Piedmont : Greene, Madison, Rappahannock, Orange, Culpeper, Louisa, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties
• Middle James : Amherst, Lynchburg, Nelson, Albemarle, Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Prince Edward, Cumberland, Goochland, Amelia, Powhatan, Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover counties and the cities of Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell, and Colonial Heights
• Roanoke River : Patrick, Franklin, Roanoke, Henry, Bedford, Pittsylvania, Campbell, Halifax, Charlotte, and Mecklenburg counties  Southeast Virginia: Suffolk, Isle of Wight, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, and Norfolk
• Upper James : Craig, Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Botetourt, and Rockbridge counties
• York-James : Hampton, Newport News, James City, York, Charles City, and New Kent counties

Virginia DEQ says it is working with local governments, public water works, and water users in the affected areas to ensure that conservation and drought response plans and ordinances are followed.

Virginians are encouraged to protect water supplies by minimizing water use, monitoring drought conditions, and detecting and repairing leaks.

See the current drought status on the DEQ website.