ROCKINGHAM, VA (Rocktown Now) — The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality says much of the state is now drought-free.

The agency has been closely watching soil moisture and stream flow in the state since late last year.

Drought advisories have been lifted in 28 localities thanks to above-average precipitation and full or overflowing reservoirs.

Drought watch advisories are still in effect in about a dozen counties, but they are mostly in northern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.