Drought, Amelia
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Amelia forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $2.0 million
- Coordinates
- 37.336, -77.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in Virginia, September 1 to 30, 1997
A very dry period from May through September resulted in drought-like conditions across much of central and eastern Virginia. 50 inches.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 14 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- $64 million
- Events
- 20
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS AKQ wrote it up.
A very dry period from May through September resulted in drought-like conditions across much of central and eastern Virginia. Monthly rainfall departures from normal for Richmond included: May/-2.48 inches, June/-1.41inches, July/-0.18 inches, August/-2.99 inches, and September/-2.50 inches. Monthly rainfall departures from normal for Norfolk included: May/-2.21 inches, June/-2.73 inches, August/-3.05 inches, September/-1.93 inches. This caused significant crop damage throughout much of the area which was estimated to be around $63.8 million. Northampton County alone reported $11.5 million in crop damage, while Accomack County reported $7.5 million.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
20 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Brunswick
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Brunswick forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $1.1 million
- Coordinates
- 36.765, -77.859 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Cumberland
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Cumberland forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $1.8 million
- Coordinates
- 37.512, -78.245 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Dinwiddie / Petersburg
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Dinwiddie / Petersburg forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $3.5 million
- Coordinates
- 37.076, -77.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Essex
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Essex forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $2.2 million
Drought, Hanover
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Hanover forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $6.1 million
Drought, Isle of Wight
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Isle of Wight forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $3.9 million
Drought, King William
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- King William forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $3.0 million
Drought, Lancaster
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Lancaster forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $1.9 million
- Coordinates
- 37.702, -76.420 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, New Kent
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- New Kent forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $1.1 million
- Coordinates
- 37.505, -76.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Northampton
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Northampton forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $11 million
- Coordinates
- 37.301, -75.928 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Powhatan
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Powhatan forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $3.1 million
- Coordinates
- 37.550, -77.915 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Prince Edward
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Prince Edward forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $2.3 million
- Coordinates
- 37.224, -78.441 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Prince George / Hopewell
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Prince George / Hopewell forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $1.2 million
- Coordinates
- 37.240, -77.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Accomack
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Accomack forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $7.5 million
- Coordinates
- 37.765, -75.757 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Charles City
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Charles City forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $2.1 million
- Coordinates
- 37.354, -77.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, James City / Williamsburg
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- James City / Williamsburg forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $560,000
- Coordinates
- 37.292, -76.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, King and Queen
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- King and Queen forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $2.9 million
Drought, Nottoway
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Nottoway forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $1.2 million
- Coordinates
- 37.143, -78.051 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Suffolk
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM EST to September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Suffolk forecast zone
- Crop damage
- $4.8 million
What these are
- Drought
- A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Drought in Georgia, September 1 to 22, 1997
- Drought in Georgia, September 1 to 22, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Texas, September 1, 1997
- Flash Flood and Hail in North Dakota, September 1, 1997
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in California, September 1, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, September 1, 1997
- Damaging Winds in North Dakota, September 1 to 16, 1997
- Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Nevada, September 1, 1997
- Flooding and Damaging Winds in Arizona, September 1 to 11, 1997
- Hail and High Wind in Minnesota, September 1, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Wisconsin, September 1, 1997
- Flash Flooding in Arizona, September 1, 1997
More
Every storm in Virginia in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, September 1997
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5620938, 5620939, 5620940, 5620941, 5620942, 5620943, 5620944, 5620945, 5620946, 5620947, 5620948, 5620949, 5620950, 5620951, 5620952, 5620953, 5620954, 5620955, 5620956, 5620957.