Shenandoah County applies for disaster relief due to drought conditions

SHENANDOAH COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Shenandoah County has applied for state and federal aid due to drought conditions in the area.

This comes just two weeks after neighboring Page County applied for relief as well.

Much of the Shenandoah Valley is still considered to be in a minor drought, but Page and Shenandoah Counties have been upgraded to moderate drought.

Tuesday night the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to apply for disaster relief funding due to those drought conditions.

If granted, this would give Shenandoah County farmers the opportunity to get money back where they could have seen loss due to the drought conditions.

One board member said they have heard from some who have had to sell their animals because there isn’t any grass to feed them.

”It’s a resolution talking about the lack of water and some of the crop damage and not having a lot of pasture or grass available and people are feeding hay and we want to consider this a natural disaster if you will within our area,” Josh Stephens, Shenandoah County Board Member said.

The resolution states there are reports of some wells going dry within the county.

With this resolution, the board of supervisors is aiming to protect the economic viability of its agricultural economy.

The resolution states the lack of rainfall has caused yield losses of 45% for hay, 30% for corn, 20% for soybean and 30% loss of pasture grazing days.

This resolution goes to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s desk to be approved or denied.

Here’s a look at rainfall in Shenandoah County since July 1.