Key West Unseasonably Wet During Dry Season
MIAMI (CBS4) - While most of South Florida continues in a dry spell that could lead to water restrictions in the next few months, Key West is on the flip side experiencing heavy rainfall… at least for Monday.
As of 8:00AM, Key West International Airport recorded 1.49 inches of rainfall, surpassing a record of 0.98 inches set on January 17th in 1922, according to the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, water levels in Lake Okeechobee are at a standstill at 12.4 feet, which is 2.2 feet below normal, according to the South Florida Water Management District. The lake, managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, is responsible for making the decisions on pending water restrictions.
"The below-average rainfall during the wet season and the lack of rainfall during the current dry season has caused groundwater and surface water levels to decline significantly," said Tommy Strowd, SFWMD Deputy Executive Director of Operations and Maintenance. "The existing situation and the long-term forecast for continued extreme dry conditions make water conservation efforts imperative."
The drought comes after the 2010 wet season produced approximately a 6-inch deficit. But, it's still too early to tell if the ongoing drought will reach the levels found from November 2008 to April 2009, which marked the driest six-month period in South Florida since 1932.
