However, an occasional prayer service will make the news. Back in the early 1930's, officially-sanctioned prayer was a common response to the drought. Remember, Virginia's economy before WWII was based on agriculture far more than today. John Steinbeck made the 1930's drought famous with his book, Of Mice and Men , and the migration of Dust Bowl refugees fleeing to California is now part of American lore - but Virginia's farmers struggled through those same hard times too. The saltiness of the water in the summertime at Jamestown peaked then, perhaps debilitating the colonists through subtle, slow salt poisoning.
Summertime demand is much higher than outside the growing season.
One measure of how far Virginia has shifted from an agricultural economy is how drought is reported. The Washington Post covered the equivalent story in Northern Virginia. Maryland imposed mandatory restrictions, while the counties of Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, and Prince William requested just voluntary action - even though both areas relied primarily upon the same Potomac River as the source. However, if you live in Stuart, or Crewe, or Louisa during the next drought, you can still see the town merchants will be struggling right along with the farmers, just as in the 1930's. Their radio stations and weekly newspapers will be reporting how the drought forces cattle prices lower and lower as pastures dry up.