Rockingham County declares local drought emergency as farmers face severe impacts

Chair Leila C. Longcor and the five-member Board of Supervisors voted unanimously June 24 to declare a local drought emergency for Rockingham County after staff reported extensive dry conditions.

Chief Holloway told the Board that “almost 75 percent of the County is experiencing drought conditions,” and county staff cited notices from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared several counties eligible for drought relief. The resolution states the drought presents a “condition of peril” to the lives, livelihood, safety and property of local farmers and residents and requests federal, state, and local agencies bring available resources to mitigate impacts.

The resolution, adopted by roll-call vote 5-0, directs the county’s emergency management functions to pursue relevant assistance and notes that declaration eligibility could include USDA emergency loans and other grants. The Board did not attach a specific expenditure or emergency spending authorization to the declaration; it functions to enable access to potential outside funding and technical assistance. The resolution is effective June 24, 2026.

The Board did not hold a separate public hearing on the resolution; staff framed the action as a step to pursue available state and federal aid for agricultural losses and other drought-related harms. No vote counts beyond the recorded 5-0 roll-call were required for the emergency proclamation.