A drought watch advisory has been issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for several parts of Virginia including Henry County.
County officials say news of the drought watch underscores the importance of residents abiding by the burn ban which went into effect in the county on December 4.
Failure to comply with the ban may result in criminal charges.
According to the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, a primary factor contributing to the drought watch advisory is the region receiving less than 50 percent of normal precipitation over the last 60 days.
Some areas have received less than 25 percent of normal rainfall over the past two weeks.
Precipitation is predicted to remain below normal with above normal temperatures over the next two weeks.
According to officials, the calculated soil moisture is ranked in the lowest five percent of historic values across portions of the affected regions.
As officials wait to see if conditions improve, the county encourages residents to take an active role in lessening the effects of the dry weather by adhering to mandatory restrictions such as the burn ban.
Contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at 276-634-4660 with any questions.