Drought Information Statement for southeast Ohio, northeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, and much of West Virginia Valid October 2, 2025 Issued By: NWS Charleston, WV Contact Information: rlx.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated by Friday October 10, 2025 Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/RLX/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Eradication of drought along the OH River surrounded by improvement across southeast OH and western WV Extreme drought continues across the mountains National Weather Service Charleston, WV 1 Current Drought Conditions Latest Drought Monitor Main Takeaways D4 (Exceptional Drought): None D3 (Extreme Drought): Slight improvement across northern WV mountains D2 (Severe Drought): Eradication of drought across northeast KY D1 (Moderate Drought): Extent dwindles across southeast OH and western WV D0: (Abnormally Dry): Improvement from D1 to D0 across southeast OH and western WV National Weather Service Charleston, WV National Weather Service Charleston, WV Current Drought Conditions Latest Drought Monitor 4-Week Change Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change Drought Worsened: WV mountains and adjacent foothill counties No Change: Small portion of southeast OH, central and southern WV Drought Improved: Areas along OH River including all of northeast KY, large portion of southeast OH, and far western WV Latest 7-Day Rainfall and 30-Day Percent of Normal Rainfall Observed Precipitation National Weather Service Charleston, WV Main Takeaways Significant rain fell close to the Ohio River with lesser amounts elsewhere A narrow stripe of 4-6 inches observed A flip to above normal rainfall now across northeast KY, southern OH, and western WV Pronounced deficits remain across the northeast WV mountains Latest 7 and 30-Day Temperature Anomaly Observed Temperature National Weather Service Charleston, WV Main Takeaways Max temperatures 4 to 6 degrees above normal over the last week and near normal over the last month Summary of Impacts Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter National Weather Service Charleston, WV Hydrologic Impacts 7-day average streamflows have improved significantly over the past few days due to recent rains (USGS) Low water levels in creeks and streams in August and early September have led to an outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in the deer population in southeast OH and western WV (Broadcast and print media, OH DNR, WV DNR) Often fatal for affected deer Exacerbated during drought conditions that occur after a wet beginning to summer Improvement not expected until first frost/freeze Groundwater monitoring wells continue slow decline, especially in the D2/D3 areas (USGS) Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture slightly improved due to recent rains (NIDIS) Pumpkin crop yields greatly reduced in Greenbrier Valley (Farm Service Agency) Supplemental hay feeding and hauling of water reported amongst livestock producers (Drought Impact Reporter, Condition Monitoring Observer Reports) Early cattle sales reported (Farm Service Agency) Fire Hazard Impacts Fire danger low Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts National Weather Service Charleston, WV Main Takeaways Streamflows have improved significantly over the past week Still below normal across Elk River basin Groundwater wells continue to slowly decline compared to September normals Many reservoirs are beginning draw down to winter pool Tygart Lake and Stonewall Jackson Lake are especially affected Impacts Hauling of water reported from livestock producers Outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in the deer population in southeast OH and western WV Often fatal for affected deer Exacerbated during drought conditions that occur after a wet beginning to summer Agricultural Impacts National Weather Service Charleston, WV USDA Crop Progress and Condition Weekly Reports West Virginia Ohio Virginia Kentucky Main Takeaways Topsoil improving in southeast OH, northeast KY, and western WV Tree canopy stress noted in many areas with early leaf drop observed over the past several weeks Reports of irrigation wells drying up in the mountains Impacts Hay shortage remains with supplemental feeding needed for livestock producers Pumpkin yields considerably lower in Greenbrier Valley Some reports of relocation of cattle and early sales due to drought Many reports of hauling of water for livestock Fire Hazard Impacts Link to Wildfire Potential Outlooks from the National Interagency Coordination Center. National Weather Service Charleston, WV Main Takeaways Generally moderate fire danger now Significant wildfire outlook is now above normal for October for WV mountains Impacts Extreme drought conditions in place for increased brush fire activity over the next several weeks Danger will be maximized during afternoons which are warm with low relative humidity and wind 7 Day Precipitation Forecast National Weather Service Charleston, WV Next 7 days: High pressure dominates through Monday with cool mornings and warm afternoons Strong cold front arrives mid week with good chance of rain Amounts up to an 1 inch possible Cool high pressure and dry late week Rapid Onset Drought Outlook Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook. National Weather Service Charleston, WV Main Takeaways Low ponds Potential for navigation issues in the weeks/months ahead on the big rivers (especially Mississippi) Impacts Recent dry weather has led to some lower 8-14 Day Outlook Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook. National Weather Service Charleston, WV Main Takeaways Above normal temperatures favored with a tilt toward normal normal rainfall Weeks 3-4 Outlook Temperature and Precipitation Outlook National Weather Service Charleston, WV Main Takeaways Increased probability of above normal temperatures Increased probability of below normal precipitation Impacts Worsening drought conditions possible across many locations Seasonal (3-Month) Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage National Weather Service Charleston, WV Main Takeaways Favors drought lingering across most areas through the Fall season