Drought continues to get worse in West Virginia

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The new drought monitor was released on Thursday, and conditions aren’t getting any better for West Virginia.

The areas under exceptional (D4) and extreme (D3) drought have been expanded slightly after most of the state received less than an inch of rain in the last week. The New and Gauley River valleys are now under D3 conditions, and D4 conditions have spread into Wirt and Clay counties, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).

As of Sept. 12, more than 99% of the state is under drought conditions, and more than 60% is under conditions that are considered extreme, or worse, including Ritchie, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur, Webster, Barbour and Taylor counties and part of Doddridge, Preston, Randolph and Tucker counties in north central West Virginia.

Eleven counties are under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Drought Disaster Designation.

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