Drought conditions worsened from September into October with parts of southwest Virginia entering into the Extreme (D3) Category from Severe (D2) the month before. Elsewhere other counties entered into or remained in the Severe (D2) Category.
Every event with a place to put it; 23 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS RNK wrote it up.
Drought conditions worsened from September into October with parts of southwest Virginia entering into the Extreme (D3) Category from Severe (D2) the month before. Elsewhere other counties entered into or remained in the Severe (D2) Category. Rainfall the last week of October helped to mitigate the drought severity with all but the counties in far southwest Virginia dropping below the Severe (D2) Category. Only southern parts of the Allegheny Highlands remained below the Severe (D2) Category the entire month.
Agricultural and livestock losses continued to be substantial, but less compared to previous months as the area progressed out of the normal growing season. Many cattlemen at this point in the season had to start deciding financially between using up winter stores of hay to feed existing head of cattle and then purchase more hay in the Spring, or they chose to sell off head of cattle, maintain winter stores, and purchase new cattle in the Spring. The greatest crop losses were primarily no second planting of pasture grasses and hay, with soybeans, corn silage and grain, pumpkins and tomatoes, continued poor apple size, and Christmas trees being additional losses of varying degrees. During a normal season, farmers are able to purchase hay for around $60 to $70 per ton, now with the hay being imported from western U.S. states, the price was more in line with $150 to $200 per ton.
Due to the drought conditions and increased fire danger, the Governor on October 19th declared a burn ban for the entire state. A few counties also had either voluntary or mandatory water restrictions in place.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
23 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The county began the month in the Severe (D2) Category of drought. It maintained this level of severity until October 30th when the drought category was downgraded to the Abnormally Dry (D0) Category. Voluntary water restrictions were in place for Bedford County for most of the month.
The county began the month in the Severe (D2) Category of drought. On October 2nd, the severity was upgraded to the Extreme (D3) Category. This level of severity continued until October 30th, when the Category was downgraded to Moderate (D1).
The county began the month under a Severe (D2) Drought. This level of severity continued until October 23rd when it was increased to an Extreme (D3) Drought. This level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to a Moderate (D1) Drought.
The county began the month during a Severe (D2) Category of Drought. This level of severity was increased to the Extreme (D3) Category of October 2nd. This level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Moderate (D1) Category. Primary losses were a 50 percent yield on both hay production and Christmas trees. Pumpkins, broccoli, and cabbage production also suffered.
The county began the month in the Severe (D2) Category of drought. This level of severity was increased on October 2nd to an Extreme (D3) Drought. This level of severity was downgraded on October 30th to a Moderate (D1) Drought.
The county began the month under a Severe (D2) Drought. That level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Moderate (D1) Category. Primary losses were a 50 percent yield of corn silage and grain, and pasture grasses.
The county began the month under a Severe (D2) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Moderate (D1) Category.
The county began the month under a Severe (D2) Category of drought. That level of intensity continued until October 2nd when the severity was upgraded to an Extreme (D3) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Severe (D2) Category. Primary losses were both pasture and hay grasses. Crop damage amounts are estimates.
The county entered the month during a Severe (D2) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 2nd when it was upgraded to the Extreme (D3) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Moderate (D1) Category.
The county began the month under the Severe (D2) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 2nd when it was upgraded to the Extreme (D3) Category. That level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Moderate (D1) Category of drought.
The county entered the month during a Severe (D2) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Moderate (D1) Category of drought. Primary losses were a 50 percent yield of corn silage and grain, and pasture grasses.
The county began the month under the Severe (D2) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Moderate (D1) Category of severity. Primary losses were pasture grasses, and poor size of both pumpkins and tomatoes.
The county entered the month under the Severe (D2) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 2nd when it was upgraded to the Extreme (D3) Category. That level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Moderate (D1) Category. Primary losses were a late planting of both a second wheat and the soybean crop, with pasture grasses also suffering great losses.
The county entered the month during a Severe (D2) Category of drought. This level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Moderate (D1) Category. Primary losses were a 50 percent yield of corn silage and grain, and pasture grasses. Crop damage amounts are estimates.
The county began the month during a Severe (D2) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 2nd when it was upgraded to the Extreme (D3) Category. This level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Severe (D2) Category. The primary loss was the lack of pasture grasses. Crop damage amounts are estimates.
The county began the month under a Severe (D2) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 2nd when it was upgraded to the Extreme (D3) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Severe (D2) Category.
The county began the month under the Severe (D2) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 2nd when it was upgraded to the Extreme (D3) Category of drought. That level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Severe (D2) Category of drought.
Drought conditions increased into the Severe (D2) Category on October 2nd and remained at that level of severity through October 30th before dropping into the Abnormally Dry (D0) Category. Apples were of poor size and there was no second hay planting. Mandatory water restrictions were in place for Amherst County for most of the month.
The drought severity increased to the Severe (D2) Category on October 2nd. It remained at that intensity through October 23rd when it was upgraded to the Extreme (D3) Category. On October 30th, the intensity was downgraded to Abnormally Dry (D0) Category.
The county entered into the Severe (D2) Category of drought on October 2nd. This level of severity lasted until October 30th when the severity level was downgraded to the Abnormally Dry (D0) Category.
The county entered into a Severe (D2) Drought on October 2nd. This level of severity continued until October 30th when the severity was downgraded to the Abnormally Dry (D0) Category.
The county entered the Severe (D2) Category of drought on October 2nd. That level of severity then continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Moderate (D1) Category. Primary losses were a 50 percent yield of corn silage and grain, and pasture grasses.
The county entered the Severe (D2) Category of drought on October 2nd. This level of severity continued until October 30th when it was downgraded to the Moderate (D1) Category.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, October 2007
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 63336, 63338, 63359, 63362, 63368, 63703, 63704, 63706, 63707, 63708, 63709, 63710, 63711, 63712, 63714, 63716, 63717, 63213, 63214, 63351, 63355, 63705, 63713.