DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 905 PM EDT FRI AUG 22 2008 ...SOUTH FLORIDA IS NOW OUT OF DROUGHT CONDITION THANKS TO TROPICAL STORM FAY'S RAINFALL... SYNOPSIS... TROPICAL STORM FAY BROUGHT GOOD RAINFALL TO SOUTH FLORIDA EARLY THIS WEEK. RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM THE STORM RANGED BETWEEN 4 TO 6 INCHES OVER MOST OF SOUTH FLORIDA...EXCEPT SOUTHERN GLADES AND NORTHERN HENDRY COUNTIES WERE THEY SAW BETWEEN 13 TO 15 INCHES. HERE ARE SOME YEARLY RAINFALL TOTALS...NORMALS...AND DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA FOR THE 20 MONTH PERIOD COVERING FROM JANUARY 1, 2007 TO AUGUST 22, 2008...AND THE WET SEASON OF 2008. AIRPORTS 20 MONTH : 20 MONTH : WET : WET TOTALS DEPARTURES SEASON SEASON 2008 TOTAL 2008 DEP. MIAMI INTERNATIONAL : 104.94 : +13.56 : 27.36 : +7.13 FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL : 89.23 : -13.33 : 17.21 : -4.33 PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL : 106.98 : +10.80 : 24.08 : +6.08 NAPLES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT : 69.73 : -15.23 : 26.71 : +4.97 SECONDARY OBSERVATION SITES IMMOKALEE : 77.72 : +3.13 : 31.53 : +10.41 DEVILS GARDEN : 84.79 : +6.86 : 36.69 : +15.84 CLEWISTON : 75.38 : -2.89 : 28.40 : +7.28 BELLE GLADE : 87.04 : -1.17 : 25.74 : +6.58 MOORE HAVEN LOCK : 88.39 : +7.88 : 46.01 : +24.89 FLAMINGO RANGER STATION : 82.23 : -0.16 : 26.28 : +6.76 MIAMI BEACH : 106.92 : +23.82 : 19.30 : +4.09 AS A RESULT...THE NATIONAL DROUGHT MONITOR PEOPLE HAVE REMOVED THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE OUT OF THE DROUGHT STATUS...AND KEPT REST OF SOUTH FLORIDA OUT OF THE DROUGHT STATUS. HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS... ALL OF THE WELLS ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA REMAIN NEAR NORMAL LEVELS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF AUGUST. THE UNDERGROUND RESERVOIRS OVER ALL OF SOUTH FLORIDA WERE STILL AT NEAR NORMAL LEVELS. THE LEVEL OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE ROSE TO AROUND 12.52 FEET. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 1.6 FEET BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. OUTLOOK... HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO SOUTH FLORIDA THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL ALLOW SOUTHEAST WINDS TO SET UP OVER THE AREA...AND FOCUS MOST OF THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORMS ACTIVITY OVER THE INTERIOR AND WEST COAST. THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER'S PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK FOR THE NEXT 14 DAYS IS FOR ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL. THE LONGER TERM OUTLOOK FOR SEPTEMBER IS FOR ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL. THIS WILL BE THE LAST DROUGHT STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI FLORIDA UNLESS DROUGHT CONDITIONS RETURN TO THE AREA. BAXTER