BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Drought conditions are becoming increasingly harsh in Whatcom County.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than half of the county is currently under a severe drought.

Just over 10% of the county, mainly in the far eastern region, is now experiencing an extreme drought.

That’s up from a week ago, when only a quarter of the county was seeing severe drought conditions and none of it was considered “extreme.”

Skagit County has seen an even more extreme trend over the past week, with nearly three-quarters of the county now under severe drought conditions.

My Bellingham Now previously reported that the state Department of Ecology declared a drought emergency in all of Whatcom and Skagit counties in June.

Emergency drought declarations are activated when the water supply in any region falls below 75% of normal levels.