Drought advisories lifted across Virginia

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality cites last week’s rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby as the reason why the agency has lifted drought advisories across dozens of localities across the Commonwealth. 

That includes localities in the Middle James region such as Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, and Nelson as well those in the Northern Piedmont region such as Louisa and Greene. 

However, many localities in Virginia still remain under some form of an advisory. 

“A drought warning is still in effect for the Shenandoah region and a drought watch exists in the Big Sandy region,” reads an announcement sent out this morning. “A drought warning advisory indicates a significant drought is imminent and remains in effect for the Shenandoah region, which includes Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren, and Clarke counties.”

The decision to lift advisories in some areas came after the Drought Monitoring Task Force met Tuesday. 

“Widespread statewide precipitation due to tropical storm Debby has provided significant improvements across the majority of Virginia, with much of the central portions of the Commonwealth receiving two to eight inches over the past seven day period,” reads a summary of the 58 page report.

Four of five reservoirs maintained by the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority are full as of Friday morning with spillways overflowing. The exception is the Ragged Mountain Reservoir which is 92.43 percent full. That body of water has a very small watershed and is currently filled by a pipeline from the Sugar Hollow Reservoir that was opened back up on August 14. 

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