Rainy Season Can't Start Soon Enough
WEST PALM BEACH (CBS4) - It's going to take more than just a little rain to bring South Florida's water-levels back to where they should be.
The National Weather Service said Wednesday that the much-needed rain may not irrigate South Florida until June, or even later, keeping water restrictions and wildfire risk in place.
The area's rainy season, which begins May 20th and ends October 17th , can produce from 33 to 44 inches of rain, on average. The month of June is usually South Florida's wettest month.
But typical rainfall may not be enough to bring water levels back to normal. Meteorologist Robert Molleda said that at least one significant tropical system would be "an easy route" to provide widespread rainfall enough to improve the dry conditions.
Currently, Lake Okeechobee's water-levels fell two feet below normal for this time of year. The lake is Florida's backup supply which means very little water, if any, can be conserved. The lack of flow into the Water Conservation Areas means there is no water to recharge urban canals and the wells.
