FGUS72 KMFL 201325
   ESFMFL
   FLZ063-066>075-230000-
   
   HYDROLOGIC STATEMENT FOR SOUTH FLORIDA
   NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
   920 AM EDT FRI APR 20 2007
   
   ...SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS REMAIN ACROSS NORTHERN INTERIOR AREAS OF 
   SOUTH FLORIDA INCLUDING COUNTIES SURROUNDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE...
   ...MODERATE DROUGHT CONDITIONS REMAIN OVER THE REST OF SOUTH FLORIDA 
   EXCEPT FOR THE SOUTHERN HALVES OF MIAMI DADE AND MAINLAND MONROE 
   COUNTIES WHERE IT IS ABNORMALLY DRY...
   
   SOUTH FLORIDA RECEIVED BETWEEN 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL DURING THE
   EARLY PART OF APRIL...EXCEPT FOR SOUTHEAST PORTIONS OF SOUTH FLORIDA 
   THAT RECEIVED 4 TO 6 INCHES OF RAINFALL. THIS REDUCED THE RAINFALL 
   DEFICITS SOMEWHAT ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA. HOWEVER...THE DEFICITS HAVE 
   BEEN THE RESULT OF A LONG DRY PERIOD THAT BEGAN EARLY IN 2006 AND 
   THEREFORE LARGE RAINFALL DEFICITS CONTINUE ACROSS MOST OF SOUTH 
   FLORIDA.
   
   HERE ARE SOME RAINFALL TOTALS...NORMALS...AND DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL 
   FOR SOUTH FLORIDA FOR THE DRY SEASON (WHICH NORMALLY EXTENDS FROM 
   NOVEMBER THROUGH MAY) OF 2006-2007 SO FAR AND FOR THE 15 MONTHS 
   PERIOD OF JANUARY 1, 2006 TO APRIL 19, 2007.
   
   AIRPORTS                      DRY SEASON:  DRY SEASON : 15 MONTH : 15 MONTH                                           
                                   TOTALS     DEPARTURES   TOTALS    DEPARTURES
   
   MIAMI INTERNATIONAL            : 15.41  :     1.62    :  74.84   :   8.02  
   FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL  : 10.47  :    -4.81    :  54.37   : -17.89
   PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL       : 20.25  :     1.63    :  58.87   : -14.39 
   NAPLES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT       :  3.69  :    -7.05    :  53.01   :  -6.11
   
   SECONDARY OBSERVATION SITES
   
   IMMOKALEE                      :  7.05  :    -3.33    :  46.74   : -14.32
   DEVILS GARDEN                  :  7.03  :    -5.45    :  48.07   : -14.09
   CLEWISTON                      :  5.28  :    -6.79    :  40.13   : -18.81
   BELLE GLADE                    :  5.09  :    -6.89    :  39.09   : -19.93
   FLAMINGO RANGER STATION        :  8.10  :    -4.14    :  49.48   : -10.53
   MIAMI BEACH                    : 13.78  :     1.84    :  68.23   :  10.86
   
   MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND MIAMI BEACH WERE ABOVE NORMAL FOR 
   THESE PERIODS BECAUSE OF THE SHORT LIVED HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS THAT 
   OCCURRED DURING SEPTEMBER 2006 AND AGAIN IN EARLY APRIL OF 2007. 
   MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RECEIVED 5.05 INCHES OF RAIN BETWEEN 
   APRIL 10 AND 12, AND MIAMI BEACH 4.97 INCHES OF RAIN. THE REASON 
   PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS 1.63 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE 
   DRY SEASON OF 2006-2007 SO FAR IS BECAUSE OF THE 8.22 INCHES OF RAIN 
   EVENT THAT OCCURRED ON DECEMBER 14 2006. SHORT LIVED RAIN EVENTS ARE 
   GENERALLY NOT CONDUCIVE TO MITIGATE LONG LIVED DRY PERIODS.
   
   ALTHOUGH THE RECENT RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA HAS HELPED TO 
   DECREASE THE KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDEX TO 550 TO 600 ACROSS 
   NORTHERN PORTIONS OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND 300 TO 500 OVER THE SOUTHERN 
   PORTIONS OF SOUTH FLORIDA...THE FIRE DANGER IS STILL IN THE HIGH 
   DANGER RANGE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA. 
   
   WELLS ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA ARE ALSO RUNNING BELOW 10 PERCENT OF 
   NORMAL LEVELS OVER MOST OF SOUTH FLORIDA...EXCEPT FOR THE SOUTHEAST 
   COAST AREAS WHERE THEY ARE A LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS DUE TO THE 
   RECENT RAINFALL. UNDERGROUND RESERVOIRS ARE ALSO STILL AROUND 
   ADEQUATE LEVELS FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. THE LEVEL OF LAKE 
   OKEECHOBEE HAS CONTINUED TO FALL AND IS NOW AROUND 9.9 FEET. 
   THIS IS ABOUT 4 FEET BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.
   
   DUE TO THE PROLONGED DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA...THE SOUTH 
   FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT HAS INCREASED THE WATER 
   RESTRICTION USAGE TO AROUND 50 PERCENT FOR THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE 
   AREA...WITH THE EAST AND WEST COAST METRO AREAS UNDER A 30 PERCENT 
   RESTRICTION USAGE.
   
   AS A RESULT...THE NORTHERN INTERIOR AREAS AROUND LAKE OKEECHOBEE OF 
   SOUTH FLORIDA AND PALM BEACH COUNTY REMAIN IN SEVERE DROUGHT 
   CONDITIONS...WHILE THE REST OF SOUTH FLORIDA REMAINS IN A MODERATE 
   DROUGHT CONDITION STATUS. THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS OVER THE SOUTHERN 
   HALVES OF MIAMI DADE AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTIES WHERE THEY HAVE 
   BEEN UPGRADED TO ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITION STATUS DUE TO THE RECENT 
   RAINFALL.
   
   THE FORECAST FOR MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK IS FOR 
   HIGH PRESSURE TO BUILD INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH. THIS WILL KEEP 
   SOUTH FLORIDA MAINLY DRY THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH ONLY A SLIGHT CHANCE 
   OF RAIN.
   
   THE MAY PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK FROM THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER IS 
   FOR AN EQUAL CHANCE OF ABOVE OR BELOW NORMAL CONDITIONS. THIS COULD 
   CONTINUE TO AGGRAVATE THE DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA.
   
   STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
   DETAILS OR UPDATES.
   
   $$
   
   BAXTER