Drought Information Statement for southeast Ohio, northeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, and much of West Virginia Valid October 16, 2025 Issued By: NWS Charleston, WV Contact Information: rlx.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated by Friday October 24, 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. Current Drought Conditions Latest Drought Monitor Main Takeaways D4 (Exceptional Drought): None D3 (Extreme Drought): Some improvement in central mountains D2 (Severe Drought): Some improvement in Gauley basin D1 (Moderate Drought): No change D0: (Abnormally Dry): Eradication in Twelvepole basin Latest Drought Monitor 4-Week Change Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change Drought Worsened: Slivers of WV mountains and adjacent foothill counties No Change: Small portion of central and southern WV Drought Improved: All of northeast KY and southeast OH; and western WV Latest 7-Day Rainfall and 30-Day Percent of Normal Rainfall Observed Precipitation Main Takeaways A general 1 to 2 inches of rain fell I-79 corridor mostly missed out Above normal rainfall across northeast KY, southern OH, and western WV Pronounced deficits remain across the northern WV mountains Summary of Impacts Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter Hydrologic Impacts 7-day average streamflows remain largely unchanged from last week (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 Main Takeaways Streamflows largely unchanged from last week Groundwater wells continue to slowly decline compared to October normals Many reservoirs are drawing down to winter pool 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 Topsoil largely unchanged from last week 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 Main Takeaways Significant wildfire outlook is above normal for October for WV mountains Impacts Extreme drought conditions across the mountains may lead to 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 Next 7 days: High pressure dominates through Saturday with chilly mornings and seasonal afternoons Strong cold front crosses Sunday with gusty showers Gusts to 40 mph possible Rainfall amounts greatest along the Ohio river High pressure returns for early next week followed by a fast moving mainly dry cold front long about mid week 8-14 Day Outlook Main Takeaways Above normal temperatures favored with near normal precipitation Seasonal (3-Month) Drought Outlook Main Takeaways Favors drought lingering across most areas into winter