Recent rains have beaten back the drought in much of the Richmond area.

This month, 8.19 inches of rain have fallen in Richmond through 11 p.m. yesterday. That makes this the wettest April since 1895, when 8.31 inches fell, according to the National Weather Service.

"We are out of the drought right now, but we are out of the drought with caution," said Keith Lynch, a hydrologist with the weather service office in Wakefield.

If we get a month or so of dry weather, we could be right back in the drought again, Lynch said.

There are no water-use restrictions in effect in the Richmond area, and the recent rainfall could help stave off new restrictions this summer.

According to a report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, an overview by federal and academic scientists, most of the eastern third of Virginia, including much of the Richmond metro area, is abnormally dry -- but not drought-stricken.

However, nearly half of Virginia remains in drought. That includes the area from western Chesterfield County to western Albemarle County, north to Culpeper County and south through much of south-central and Southwest Virginia.

Some places, including parts of Cumberland, Albemarle, Powhatan, Amelia, Flu-vanna, Goochland and Louisa counties, are in severe drought.

Rains yesterday and during the weekend could change those designations when the next Drought Monitor report comes out Thursday.

Terry Wagner, chairman of the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, said Virginia needs several more widespread, soaking rains this spring and summer to hold off drought.

"This [rain] is very good short-term news for us, but the story remains to be told," Wagner said.

Richmond got nearly half its April rain -- 3.35 inches -- on the 20th, when a line of thunderstorms stretched across the area, said Bryan Jackson, a Weather Service meteorologist.

The region could get more rain this weekend and possibly late next week, Jackson said.
Contact Rex Springston at (804) 649-6453 or rspringston@timesdispatch.com.