Wilkes County Moves Out of Drought After Wet September

Wilkes County is no longer classified as experiencing drought in the latest federal county data. Drought.gov currently reports zero residents affected by drought.

The improvement is substantial. Nearly all of the county was classified in moderate drought during late September, while 8.2% of residents remained affected in early October.

September rainfall helped

Federal climate data ranks September 2026 as the 35th-wettest September in Wilkes County during the 132-year period of record. Precipitation finished approximately 1.4 inches above normal for the month.

The longer-term picture is less favorable. January through September remained approximately 7.22 inches below normal and ranked as the county’s 14th-driest year-to-date period in the same record.

What the change means

The latest classification means drought-specific restrictions and urgent countywide drought messaging are no longer justified by current data. It does not guarantee that every private well, stream or property has completely recovered. Groundwater and individual wells can respond more slowly than surface conditions.

Homeowners with persistent low water pressure, muddy water or pump problems should continue working with qualified well professionals rather than assuming the end of the drought classification resolved a mechanical or groundwater problem.

Source: Drought.gov Wilkes County conditions.