Is North Carolina in a drought?
This week's U.S. Drought Monitor for North Carolina, and the category in each of its 100 counties, from the National Drought Mitigation Center.
Yes, in part: 58.44% of North Carolina is in drought (D1 to D4).
88.48% is at least abnormally dry (D0 to D4), 23.98% in severe drought or worse (D2 to D4), 4.3% extreme or worse (D3 to D4) and 0% in D4 Exceptional Drought.
Next map: released Thursday 22 October 2026.
On the map valid 13 October 2026, 82 of 100 counties had some drought (D1 or worse); 16 more were abnormally dry (D0) only. D3 Extreme Drought somewhere in 15. D2 Severe Drought somewhere in 24.
Every county, map valid 13 October 2026
The category is the most severe one covering any part of the county; the share says how much of it. "Weeks" counts the weekly maps in a row with that category or worse somewhere in it.
| County | Category this week | Share in it | In drought (D1–D4) | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | D3 Extreme Drought | 0.03% | 97.34% | 26 weeks |
| Alexander County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 45.43% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Alleghany County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 8.65% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Anson County | D1 Moderate Drought | 91.4% | 91.4% | at least 54 weeks |
| Ashe County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 60.06% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Avery County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 60.53% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Beaufort County | D1 Moderate Drought | 21.36% | 21.36% | at least 54 weeks |
| Bertie County | D2 Severe Drought | 3.41% | 81.92% | 3 weeks |
| Bladen County | D2 Severe Drought | 71.86% | 86.81% | 40 weeks |
| Brunswick County | D2 Severe Drought | 48.81% | 95.37% | 34 weeks |
| Buncombe County | D1 Moderate Drought | 0.06% | 0.06% | 45 weeks |
| Burke County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 0.1% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Cabarrus County | D1 Moderate Drought | 47.98% | 47.98% | at least 54 weeks |
| Caldwell County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 0.1% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Camden County | D1 Moderate Drought | 3.72% | 3.72% | 2 weeks |
| Carteret County | D1 Moderate Drought | 26.39% | 26.39% | 40 weeks |
| Caswell County | D3 Extreme Drought | 75.75% | 100% | 26 weeks |
| Catawba County | D1 Moderate Drought | 36.18% | 36.18% | 5 weeks |
| Chatham County | D2 Severe Drought | 28.9% | 64.47% | 5 weeks |
| Cherokee County | D1 Moderate Drought | 0.79% | 0.79% | 44 weeks |
| Chowan County | D1 Moderate Drought | 1.68% | 1.68% | 2 weeks |
| Clay County | D1 Moderate Drought | 17.24% | 17.24% | 44 weeks |
| Cleveland County | D1 Moderate Drought | 13.44% | 13.44% | 6 weeks |
| Columbus County | D2 Severe Drought | 95.2% | 100% | 34 weeks |
| Craven County | D2 Severe Drought | 4.25% | 49.25% | 7 weeks |
| Cumberland County | D2 Severe Drought | 1.1% | 17.14% | 4 weeks |
| Currituck County | D1 Moderate Drought | 45.02% | 45.02% | 2 weeks |
| Dare County | D1 Moderate Drought | 1.88% | 1.88% | 2 weeks |
| Davidson County | D1 Moderate Drought | 29.28% | 29.28% | 48 weeks |
| Davie County | D1 Moderate Drought | 37.13% | 37.13% | 48 weeks |
| Duplin County | D2 Severe Drought | 25.12% | 99.11% | 40 weeks |
| Durham County | D2 Severe Drought | 48.22% | 100% | 41 weeks |
| Edgecombe County | D2 Severe Drought | 13.58% | 100% | 9 weeks |
| Forsyth County | D3 Extreme Drought | 0.12% | 100% | 25 weeks |
| Franklin County | D2 Severe Drought | 98.3% | 100% | 40 weeks |
| Gaston County | D1 Moderate Drought | 0.74% | 0.74% | 6 weeks |
| Gates County | D1 Moderate Drought | 87.71% | 87.71% | 4 weeks |
| Graham County | D1 Moderate Drought | 0.54% | 0.54% | 43 weeks |
| Granville County | D3 Extreme Drought | 18.9% | 99.99% | 27 weeks |
| Greene County | D3 Extreme Drought | 84.15% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Guilford County | D3 Extreme Drought | 32.47% | 100% | 26 weeks |
| Halifax County | D3 Extreme Drought | 37.84% | 100% | 9 weeks |
| Harnett County | D2 Severe Drought | 54.61% | 94.24% | 5 weeks |
| Haywood County | D1 Moderate Drought | 70.13% | 70.13% | 45 weeks |
| Henderson County | D1 Moderate Drought | 7.6% | 7.6% | 45 weeks |
| Hertford County | D2 Severe Drought | 50.04% | 100% | 7 weeks |
| Hoke County | D1 Moderate Drought | 4.87% | 4.87% | 48 weeks |
| Hyde County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 42.66% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Iredell County | D1 Moderate Drought | 4.63% | 4.63% | 46 weeks |
| Jackson County | D1 Moderate Drought | 98.72% | 98.72% | 45 weeks |
| Johnston County | D2 Severe Drought | 67.58% | 100% | 5 weeks |
| Jones County | D2 Severe Drought | 0.13% | 95.4% | 29 weeks |
| Lee County | D2 Severe Drought | 19.93% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Lenoir County | D3 Extreme Drought | 38.08% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Lincoln County | D1 Moderate Drought | 23.39% | 23.39% | 6 weeks |
| Macon County | D1 Moderate Drought | 99.79% | 99.79% | 44 weeks |
| Madison County | D1 Moderate Drought | 0.09% | 0.09% | 44 weeks |
| Martin County | D1 Moderate Drought | 79.35% | 79.35% | at least 54 weeks |
| McDowell County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 0.08% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Mecklenburg County | D1 Moderate Drought | 22.58% | 22.58% | at least 54 weeks |
| Mitchell County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 88.02% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| Montgomery County | D1 Moderate Drought | 87.2% | 87.2% | 48 weeks |
| Moore County | D1 Moderate Drought | 83.86% | 83.86% | 46 weeks |
| Nash County | D3 Extreme Drought | 2.73% | 99.99% | 8 weeks |
| New Hanover County | D1 Moderate Drought | 7.09% | 7.09% | 4 weeks |
| Northampton County | D3 Extreme Drought | 13.29% | 100% | 8 weeks |
| Onslow County | D1 Moderate Drought | 90.08% | 90.08% | 41 weeks |
| Orange County | D2 Severe Drought | 34.43% | 100% | 41 weeks |
| Pamlico County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 71.91% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Pasquotank County | D1 Moderate Drought | 0.02% | 0.02% | 2 weeks |
| Pender County | D2 Severe Drought | 15.82% | 46.15% | 34 weeks |
| Perquimans County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Person County | D3 Extreme Drought | 55.68% | 100% | 27 weeks |
| Pitt County | D3 Extreme Drought | 0.2% | 99.99% | 2 weeks |
| Polk County | None | 0% | 1 week | |
| Randolph County | D1 Moderate Drought | 17.04% | 17.04% | 48 weeks |
| Richmond County | D1 Moderate Drought | 76.08% | 76.08% | 48 weeks |
| Robeson County | D2 Severe Drought | 52.59% | 67.86% | 40 weeks |
| Rockingham County | D3 Extreme Drought | 60.89% | 100% | 26 weeks |
| Rowan County | D1 Moderate Drought | 8.91% | 8.91% | 48 weeks |
| Rutherford County | None | 0% | 1 week | |
| Sampson County | D2 Severe Drought | 20.08% | 89.29% | 40 weeks |
| Scotland County | D1 Moderate Drought | 3.76% | 3.76% | 41 weeks |
| Stanly County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | at least 54 weeks |
| Stokes County | D2 Severe Drought | 34.43% | 96.74% | 41 weeks |
| Surry County | D1 Moderate Drought | 28.97% | 28.97% | 46 weeks |
| Swain County | D1 Moderate Drought | 71.33% | 71.33% | 44 weeks |
| Transylvania County | D1 Moderate Drought | 65.42% | 65.42% | 45 weeks |
| Tyrrell County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 3.17% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Union County | D1 Moderate Drought | 96.08% | 96.08% | at least 54 weeks |
| Vance County | D2 Severe Drought | 62.81% | 100% | 41 weeks |
| Wake County | D2 Severe Drought | 99.47% | 100% | 5 weeks |
| Warren County | D3 Extreme Drought | 32.25% | 100% | 9 weeks |
| Washington County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 12.24% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Watauga County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 60.43% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Wayne County | D3 Extreme Drought | 2.2% | 100% | 2 weeks |
| Wilkes County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 48.15% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Wilson County | D2 Severe Drought | 68.64% | 100% | 5 weeks |
| Yadkin County | D1 Moderate Drought | 96.68% | 96.68% | 46 weeks |
| Yancey County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 93.88% | 0% | 5 weeks |
Natural disaster risk in North Carolina by county · Drought in every state
The categories
| Category | Name |
|---|---|
| D0 | Abnormally Dry (not drought: going into or coming out of drought) |
| D1 | Moderate Drought |
| D2 | Severe Drought |
| D3 | Extreme Drought |
| D4 | Exceptional Drought |
What each category means on the ground is described on the Drought Monitor's classification page.
How this page reads the Drought Monitor
- The figures are the U.S. Drought Monitor's own statistics (share of area in each category), read from its data service. The categories are theirs, unchanged. This site does not make its own drought assessment.
- The Drought Monitor gives each county a share in each category. A county's category here is the most severe one covering any part of it, with the share it covers. "Weeks" counts the weekly maps in a row, newest first, on which some of the county was at that category or worse.
- A new map is released every Thursday, valid for the Tuesday before. Every figure here carries that valid date. This site reads the new week once, after the Thursday release, and keeps it.
- Counties are matched to the Drought Monitor by their five-digit FIPS code. Connecticut is shown by its nine planning regions, which replaced its eight counties in 2022; the Drought Monitor's county statistics use the same planning regions.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, droughtmonitor.unl.edu · The official map for North Carolina · Drought Monitor data tables · drought.gov current conditions · NOAA seasonal drought outlook
Questions
Is North Carolina in a drought right now?
On the U.S. Drought Monitor valid 13 October 2026, 58.44% of North Carolina is in drought (D1 to D4) and 88.48% is at least abnormally dry (D0 to D4). 23.98% is in D2 Severe Drought or worse.
Which counties in North Carolina are in the worst drought?
This week the most severe category in North Carolina is D3 Extreme Drought, in Alamance County, Caswell County, Forsyth County, Granville County, Greene County, Guilford County, Halifax County, Lenoir County and 7 more.
How is a county's category chosen on this page?
The U.S. Drought Monitor gives the share of each county in each category. This page names the most severe category covering any part of the county, and always says how much of the county it covers.