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Florida Hazard Watch - Drought Information

DroughtFlorida has entered into a second year of drought conditions, as statewide average rainfall deficits during 2006-07 are the largest observed since the mid 1950s.  According to the National Drought Monitor, approximately 20% of Florida is experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions as of January 1st, 2008.  The drought has been most pronounced in southwest Florida and the Kissimmee River watershed.  As a result, the average elevation of Lake Okeechobee has remained at or near daily record low levels since last Spring and is currently more than 4 feet below the historical average elevation for mid-January. Streamflows are below normal across much of Florida. Moderate La Nina conditions in the equatorial Pacific are expected to intensify the drought in Florida during the Winter and Spring months.   The recent freeze in central Florida has increased the wildfire threat since significant rainfall has been confined to the Florida panhandle counties during the past month.

Drought Maps

Florida Drought Monitor

Tracking drought blends science and art. No single definition of drought works for all circumstances, so people rely on drought indices to detect and measure droughts. But no single index works under all circumstances, either. That's why we need the Drought Monitor, a synthesis of multiple indices, outlooks and news accounts, that represents a consensus of federal and academic scientists. The product will be refined over time as they find ways to make it better reflect the needs of decision-makers and others who use the information.

Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) from the Florida DOF
 
The Keetch-Byram drought index (KBDI) is a continuous reference scale for estimating the dryness of the soil and duff layers. The index increases for each day without rain (the amount of increase depends on the daily high temperature) and decreases when it rains. The scale ranges from 0 (no moisture deficit) to 800. The range of the index is determined by assuming that there is 8 inches of moisture in a saturated soil that is readily available to the vegetation.

USGS Daily Streamflow Conditions

The "Real-time streamflow" map tracks short-term changes (over several hours) in rivers and streams. Although the general appearance of the map changes very little from one hour to the next, individual sites may change rapidly in response to major rain events or to reservoir releases. The map depicts streamflow conditions as computed at USGS gaging stations. The colors represent real-time streamflow compared to percentiles of historical daily streamflow for the day of the year. This map represents conditions relative to those that have historically occured at this time of year. Only stations having at least 30 years of record are used.

Climate Prediction Center Maps

The Climate Prediction Center collects and produces daily and monthly data, time series, and maps for various climate parameters, such as precipitation, temperature, snow cover, and degree days for the United States, Pacific Islands, and other parts of the world. The CPC also compiles data on historic and current atmospheric and oceanic conditions, El Niño Southern Oscillations (ENSO) and other climate patterns such as the North Atlantic and Pacific Decadal Oscillations, and stratospheric ozone and temperature.

U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook
Palmer Drought Severity Index
Crop Moisture Index
Precipitation needed to end drought

Drought Information

National Drought Mitigation Center

The National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) helps people and institutions develop and implement measures to reduce scocietal vulnerability to drought. The NDMC, based at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, stresses preparation and risk management rather than crisis management.

Florida “Dry Season” Forecast 
This page is a product of research from the Melbourne National Weather Service Forecast Office on the EL Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and its impact on Florida's dry season. This research, conducted since early 1997, was produced in recognition of the fact that climatic fluctuations on regional and global scales have been shown to have a profound impact on Florida's weather from season to season. The importance of seasonal forecasts continue to increase as Florida growing population becomes more sensitive to extreme weather events every year. Due to this sensitivity there is a need to better understand seasonal variability and seasonal forecasting of weather-related hazards. This page assimilates a variety of information on seasonal forecasts for Florida in an easy-to-use format in order to keep society better informed.
 Drought Assessment: Hydrologic Information Center

Provides a roundup of the various NOAA Web sites and information on drought and climate conditions

Climate Prediction Center Outlooks

Site of NOAA/NWS Climate Prediction Center

Florida Water Management Districts

The following districts currently have mandatory water restrictions…
Southwest Florida WMD
South Florida WMD
Effective April 7, 2008: Suwanee River WMD
Voluntary Water Restrictions: Northwest Florida WMD

St. Johns River Water Management District

Florida is divided into five water management districts , which are dedicated to the preservation and management of Florida's precious water resources. The St. Johns River Water Management District is responsible for managing ground and surface water supplies in all or part of 18 counties in northeast and east-central Florida. More than 700 dedicated staff members do this each day from offices in Palatka, Jacksonville, Altamonte Springs, and Palm Bay.
Southwest Florida Water Management District

The mission of the Southwest Florida Water Management District is to manage water and related natural resources to ensure their continued availability while maximizing environmental, economic and recreational benefits. Central to the mission is maintaining the balance between the water needs of current and future users while protecting and maintaining water and related natural resources which provide the District with its existing and future water supply.
South Florida Water Management District  

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is a regional agency of the state of Florida, and is charged with managing and protecting water resources of the region by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply. SFWMD's boundaries extend from central Florida to Lake Okeechobee, and from coast to coast, from Fort Myers to Fort Pierce, south through the sprawling Everglades to the Florida Keys and Florida Bay.
Suwannee River

Its four main areas of responsibility are water supply, flood protection, water quality management, and natural systems management. We manage water and related natural resources in north-central Florida by providing water quality and quantity monitoring, research, regulation, land acquisition and management, and flood protection. Suwannee is the smallest of the state's water management districts in terms of geographic area, population served, tax base, and agency staff.
Northwest Florida

The Northwest Florida Water Management District stretches from the St. Marks River Basin in Jefferson County to the Perdido River in Escambia County. The District is one of five water management districts in Florida created by the Water Resources Act of 1972. Sixteen counties lie within the Northwest Florida Water Management District. They include Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton and Washington counties and the westernmost portion of Jefferson County.

Agriculture

USDA Drought Assistance
Drought assistance news releases form the United States Department of Agriculture and other agencies.

Weather

Current Weather Information: National Weather Service Southern Region Headquarters

Precipitation Information: Standard Precipitation Index

Updated:
May 12, 2008 12:18

 

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