Norfolk, Va. – The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows western portions of Isle of Wight County and Suffolk, as well as all of Southampton County and Franklin, under the “abnormally dry” category. The amount of rain we see this summer will determine whether or not this will develop into a drought.
This may sound like odd news after the heavy rains last week, but the area has not seen much rain besides those storms.
Areas in California have been seeing severe drought for years on end, but the East Coast has been able to avoid going dry.
There are a couple of chances for storms this week, and any heavy rain event such as a line of storms or a tropical system would erase our rainfall deficit. Over the next couple weeks it’ll become more clear whether this dry spell was a fluke, or a sign of a serious drought.
–Andrew Green
