Roanoke, VA – After a rainy stretch of weather, many are wondering how the rainfall impacts the ongoing drought in Virginia.
In short, there were certainly some improvements, but we still have some work to do.
First off, keep in mind this data reflects the rain we’ve received between 8 AM 5/19 and 8 AM 5/26. Yesterday and most of Tuesday’s data will be reflected NEXT week.
We DID see a slight improvement compared to what we were experiencing last week from a statewide perspective. We’ve dropped roughly 12-13% in both severe and extreme drought coverage. The biggest changes are around the Richmond area and into eastern Virginia, and in northern Virginia. We also saw improvements towards the Appalachian Plateau as well.
Rainfall totals varied quite significantly across the region, with the greatest rainfall totals residing in areas where thunderstorms ended up occurring. Rocky Mount and the Charlotte Court House area are two examples of places that experienced these hefty rainfall totals.
Now you may be thinking: “how have we not significantly improved after all that rain?” Well in the grand scheme of things. We still need 9-12 inches of rain statewide to end all drought conditions in one month. Yes we got a good amount of rain, and yes, we still need more. We just don’t want it all at once, or else that leads to flooding as the ground cannot absorb rainwater quick enough.
Even if it seems like you still see lots of greenery around, the look of a landscape is not the best indicator of drought conditions. What most of us in Virginia are currently dealing with is a Green drought, which occurs when we have enough moisture at the surface to support some plant life and keep leaves green, but deep in the ground you’ll find much drier soil, which can increase the stress on plant life once the moisture at the surface becomes depleted. Aquifers located deep below the ground also begin to dry up when this happens, which can have a negative effect on water reserves for wells and springs.
To sum it all up, the rainfall over the past week helped, as it not only prevented worsening conditions, but also improved conditions in parts of the state. However, we still have a ways to go before we can smash this drought completely.