Understanding Norfolk's rainfall deficit and what it means for our gardens
If you've spent much time in Norfolk this summer, the word drought might seem a little strange.
We've had rain.
We've had summer thunderstorms, sudden downpours, soggy yards, and plenty of days when it seemed like the clouds just wouldn't quit.
So how can Norfolk still be behind on rainfall?
The answer is found by looking at the year-to-date rainfall total, rather than simply remembering how much rain we've had recently.
Norfolk is still below its normal rainfall
According to the National Weather Service's official Norfolk climate station, Norfolk had received 28.89 inches of precipitation from January 1 through September 16, 2026.
Normally, Norfolk would have received approximately 36.61 inches by that point in the year.
That puts our year-to-date rainfall 7.72 inches below normal—a deficit of nearly 8 inches.
These figures are for the National Weather Service's Norfolk climate station (ORF) and are current through September 16, 2026. Rainfall totals can vary across Hampton Roads depending on the location of the rain gauge.
And that's what makes this year's weather interesting.
A summer that feels wet doesn't necessarily mean we've had a wet year.
How can we have so much rain and still be behind?
Rainfall isn't distributed evenly throughout the year.
We might receive several inches during a handful of storms and then go through longer stretches with very little precipitation. A few dramatic summer storms can make our yards look completely saturated while the overall year-to-date total remains below normal.
There's another piece of the puzzle, too.
When rain falls very heavily in a short period of time, not all of that water has an opportunity to soak into the ground.
Instead, some runs across lawns, driveways, sidewalks, and streets and eventually makes its way into storm drains and waterways.
For a coastal city like Norfolk, how we manage rainfall can be just as important as how much rainfall we receive.
What does this mean for your garden?
A rainfall deficit doesn't mean every Norfolk garden is suffering from drought stress.
Your particular yard may have received plenty of rain, and soil conditions can vary dramatically from one property to another. Shade, soil type, drainage, plant selection, and the amount of rainfall your specific neighborhood receives all make a difference.
But it is a good reminder to think about how our landscapes handle water.
💧 Water deeply and intentionally
When your plants need supplemental water, watering deeply and less frequently is generally more useful than giving plants a small amount every day.
Pay particular attention to newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials, which can need supplemental water while their root systems become established.
🌿 Choose plants suited to our region
Native plants aren't a magic solution to drought, and even native plants need water while they're becoming established.
But choosing plants that are adapted to the conditions of our region can help create a landscape that works with our local environment rather than constantly fighting it.
Once established, many native plants can thrive with considerably less supplemental care than a landscape dominated by thirsty turf and plants poorly suited to our climate.
🍂 Don't underestimate mulch
Mulch does more than make a garden bed look finished.
A layer of organic mulch can help shade the soil, reduce evaporation, and protect soil from temperature extremes.
Just remember to keep mulch away from the trunks and stems of plants rather than piling it directly against them.
🌧️ Capture rainfall when it comes
If we're going to get rain, why not make better use of it?
Rain barrels can collect water from rooftops for later use in the landscape, while rain gardens can help slow and absorb runoff where water naturally collects.
Instead of thinking of stormwater as something that needs to leave our property as quickly as possible, we can look for opportunities to keep some of that water on the landscape.
🌳 Think beyond the lawn
A yard doesn't have to be wall-to-wall turf to be beautiful.
Trees, shrubs, native grasses, and perennial plants can provide habitat for pollinators and wildlife while also creating a more layered landscape.
Reducing unnecessary lawn can also reduce the amount of irrigation, mowing, and maintenance a landscape requires.
Norfolk's rainfall is a reminder to plan for variability
Living in Hampton Roads means living with a lot of environmental variability.
We can have heavy rainfall and flooding.
We can have periods of dry weather.
We can have intense summer heat followed by a sudden thunderstorm.
And sometimes, we get all three in the same week.
That's why creating a resilient landscape isn't necessarily about planning for one specific type of weather.
It's about creating a yard that can handle change.
Native plants, healthy soil, mulch, trees, rain gardens, rain barrels, and thoughtful water use are all pieces of that larger picture.
Your yard can be part of the solution
It's easy to think of drought and rainfall as problems that only governments, utilities, or large organizations need to address.
But every yard is a small piece of the landscape.
Every tree planted.
Every rain barrel installed.
Every patch of lawn replaced with an appropriate native plant.
Every rain garden that slows runoff.
Every handful of mulch that helps keep moisture in the soil.
Small choices add up.
Norfolk may have had plenty of rain this summer—but the bigger picture tells us that we're still behind where we would normally be at this point in the year.
And that's a good reminder that here in Hampton Roads, resilience isn't about expecting the weather to stay predictable.
It's about creating landscapes that are ready for whatever comes next.
What about the data centers?
If you've been following conversations about water in Virginia, you've probably heard another question:
Are data centers contributing to our water problems?
It's an important question—but it helps to separate a few different issues.
Rainfall deficit and water consumption aren't the same thing
When we say Norfolk is nearly 8 inches below normal rainfall for the year, we're talking about precipitation.
According to the National Weather Service's Norfolk climate station, Norfolk received 28.89 inches of precipitation from January 1 through September 16, 2026, compared with a normal 36.61 inches for that period.
That's a year-to-date deficit of 7.72 inches.
Data centers don't cause that rainfall deficit.
Rainfall is determined by weather and climate patterns.
But water consumption is a separate question—and that's where data centers enter the conversation.
Data centers can use significant amounts of water
Data centers generate enormous amounts of heat and need cooling systems to keep their equipment operating.
The amount of water a facility uses can vary substantially depending on its size, computing density, and cooling technology. Virginia's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) found that most data centers use about the same amount of water or less than an average large office building, while some use substantially more and others use less than a typical household.
The important point is that there isn't one universal “data center water use” number.
The cooling system matters.
The size of the facility matters.
The local water source matters.
And the amount of water available in that particular area matters.
Eastern Virginia has an especially important water conversation
This matters to Hampton Roads because parts of eastern Virginia have groundwater-management challenges.
Virginia's current policies are increasingly focused on reducing water demand from data-center cooling. State legislation enacted in 2026 directs the Department of Environmental Quality to establish requirements for water-efficient cooling technologies in certain circumstances, including new data centers in the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area. Those technologies can include air cooling, closed-loop systems, recycled water, stormwater reuse, and reclaimed non-potable water.
The state is also studying options for retrofitting existing facilities and increasing the use of recycled water and stormwater for cooling.
So the conversation isn't simply:
“Data centers are using water, therefore they're causing the drought.”
It's more complicated than that.
A better question is:
How do we make sure Virginia's growing water demands remain sustainable while our climate becomes more variable?
What does this have to do with your backyard?
Quite a lot, actually.
Whether water is being used by a household, a business, agriculture, industry, or a data center, the underlying resource is still water.
And that makes water conservation something we can all participate in.
💧 Use water wisely.
🌿 Choose plants suited to our region.
🍂 Protect your soil with mulch.
🌧️ Capture rainwater when appropriate.
🌱 Consider a rain garden where runoff naturally collects.
🌳 Plant trees and other vegetation that help build a healthier landscape.
These aren't going to solve Virginia's water challenges by themselves.
But they are part of a larger shift toward thinking about water as a resource to manage—not simply something that appears when we turn on the faucet.
The bigger picture
Norfolk can have a summer full of thunderstorms and still finish the year below its normal rainfall.
Virginia can be considered a relatively water-rich state and still experience drought.
And a region can receive substantial rainfall while individual water supplies face increasing demand.
All of those things can be true at the same time.
That's why the conversation about drought, water use, development, and data centers deserves more than a simple headline.
It deserves good data.
It deserves responsible planning.
And it deserves communities thinking about how we can use and protect the water we have.
For those of us gardening in Hampton Roads, that starts right outside our own doors.
Every yard is part of the watershed.
And every drop we slow down, capture, conserve, or allow to soak into healthy soil is one more small step toward a more resilient Hampton Roads.
🌱 Growing native, one yard at a time.
Sources & rainfall data
Rainfall figures in this article are based on the National Weather Service Norfolk climate station (ORF) and represent precipitation recorded from January 1 through September 16, 2026.
2026 precipitation: 28.89 inches
Normal precipitation through September 16: 36.61 inches
Departure from normal: –7.72 inches
Rainfall totals can differ between individual locations and rain gauges across Hampton Roads. The figures above specifically refer to the official Norfolk climate station.