Much of the Triangle region remains in drought, with Lenoir and Greene counties among the state’s hardest-hit after a notably dry September, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s report released Thursday.

Lenoir and Greene are both classified in “extreme drought,” the second-most severe category, after the coastal plain received less than half its normal rainfall for the week ending September 29. Person and Granville counties also remain in extreme drought, while the region’s dry stretch follows what’s typically North Carolina’s wettest month.

Klaus Albertin, chair of the state’s Drought Management Advisory Council and a water resources engineer with the NC Department of Environmental Quality, said coastal areas saw their first- or second-driest September on record, driven by a persistent dry pattern and minimal tropical storm activity this year.

The strain is especially visible at Kerr Lake, which spans Vance, Granville and Warren counties. The reservoir sits nearly 11 feet below normal — its fifth-lowest level ever recorded — prompting a 44% cut in hydropower generation at the John H. Kerr Dam. Falls Lake, which touches Durham, Wake and Granville counties, is also continuing to decline, part of a statewide trend in which more than half of all streamflows are running below normal.

Counties in the extreme or exceptional categories, including Lenoir, Greene, Person and Granville, are required to follow their Water Shortage Response Plans and report water use weekly. Residents can check with their local water system for specific restrictions, and Albertin said rain forecast for this weekend should bring some improvement, even as temperatures stay well above normal in the near term.