South Florida Still in Water-Short Situation
Although the West Palm Beach, Fla.-area received above-average rainfall recently and much of that was stored, the South Florida Water Management District's 16-county region is still experiencing a multi-year rain deficit of more than 20 inches.
The district continues to encourage aggressive water conservation to stretch and protect public water supplies until wet season rains return to replenish resources and help pull the region out of water shortage.
District-wide, February rainfall averaged 2.99 inches, about an inch higher than the historical average for the month. During the current dry season (November, December, January and February), however, district meteorologists have recorded an average of just 5.94 inches of rain – including nearly 3 inches in February.