Almost all of Rhode Island is now in a severe drought as all the promised thunderstorms have brought little relief to a region that is becoming increasingly arid by the day.
The US Drought Monitor raised the drought level on Thursday, noting it’s the state’s 61st driest year in 128 years.
Only a small portion of the Rhode Island coast remains in moderate drought. Severe drought also extended into southeast Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut, with 5% of the northeast now included in this category, a range from abnormally dry to exceptionally dry.
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“It’s not drier than it was a week ago,” said Henry Wright, president of the US Farm Bureau, “it’s just that it’s been going on longer. It’s not going away just because it’s it’s raining. You really need heavy rain. Several days and not all at once.
“Most farmers are scared to death,” he said. “We are coming in August. When they make fruit or cereal, they really need water.
Help may be on the way. If a severe drought continues for eight weeks or more, the US Department of Agriculture will designate disaster areas and provide emergency assistance, according to Laura Hart, spokeswoman for the State Department of the Administration.
“We’re in response mode,” said Ken Ayars, agriculture division chief for the state Department of Environmental Management. “When it comes to our role of assisting farmers and fighting fires, we are coping with the conditions that come our way.”
Ayar’s agency issued an emergency permit last weekend to a farmer whose pond dried up, something the agency can do to help farmers weather the drought.
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Although the number of forest fires in the woods – 57 – is about average, Ayars said the forests are stressed by the dry conditions.
“They are more prone to insects and disease,” he said. “Staff report an increasing prevalence of insects, which are degrading forest health.”
During this time, the rainfall was short-lived and very localized.
In May, the National Weather Service reported 1.5 inches of rain; the average is 3.4 inches. In June, Rhode Island received a startling five inches, above the 3.8 inch average. In July, only 0.43 inches fell from the 2.5 inch average.
But National Weather Service forecaster Bill Simpson said rainfall totals can be misleading because if all the rain comes in one dump, like the historic rainfall in St. Louis this week, it can run off. What is needed is a day of rain soaking into the ground.
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To issue a statewide drought advisory, Rhode Island must meet three of four key indicators: two out of three months of below-normal groundwater, three consecutive months of below-normal flow, two months of significantly lower rainfall and reach a certain level on a national drought index.
These conditions are not met… yet. If a statewide advisory is issued, it will recommend but not require conservation actions for the state. Only if a drought emergency is declared will the state require statewide conservation, which has not happened in recent memory, Hart said.
So far, water restrictions are in place for parts of South Kingstown and Narragansett; Warwick announced similar measures.
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“While statewide conservation warrants are unlikely to be issued, individual water utilities and municipalities can and often do issue conservation measures such as bans on watering outside,” Hart said.
Meanwhile, the Drought Steering Committee, made up of state and federal experts, will meet Aug. 9 to discuss drought conditions. Unlike the US Drought Monitor, the local committee looks at the drought over a longer period.