Drought in West Virginia, July 1 to 31, 1999

High pressure was the dominant weather feature across the Eastern Panhandle during the month. This forced most rain producing storm systems to steer north of the region and resulted in the continuation of the climatological, meteorological, and hydrological drought that had plagued the area since last summer. By the last week of July the Palmer Drought Index, a measure of long term drought conditions, indicated the Eastern Panhandle was in an extreme drought. July was the 10th month in the past 12 months that precipitation was below normal. This long-lived drought was the worst since 1966 and was very close to conditions during the 1931drought. From August 1998 through July 1999 precipitation was a staggering 14 inches below average. Rainfall totals across the Eastern Panhandle during the month of July included 2.1 inches in Pendleton County, 2.6 inches in Grant and Berkeley County, 1.5 inches in Hardy County, 1.4 inches in Mineral County, 2.8 inches in Jefferson County, 1.0 inches in Hampshire County, and 2.1 inches in Morgan County. The lack of precipitation was devastating for the agricultural community. During the first week of July, the governor declared an agricultural emergency across the state. The state also asked residents to conserve water voluntarily by the 20th. The Jennings Randolph Reservoir on the Potomac River near Piedmont was 13.8% below capacity by the 31st. Springs that supply water to Berkeley County residents flowed at half the normal rate during the month. Several other small streams went dry. 35% of farmers had to haul water for livestock, and 34% of wells were dry or in danger of drying up. County extension agents reported 79% of the hay crop and 87% of pasture land was in poor to very poor condition. 82% of the corn crop, 55% of oats, 34% of soybeans, and 60% of the tobacco crop was also in poor or very poor condition. 92% of topsoil was reported short or very short of water by the end of the month. Tomatoes and onions were only half the normal size and dairy production was down 15 to 25%.