The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows some improvement across portions of the Mid-Atlantic following several rounds of showers and thunderstorms. However, significant drought conditions remain across Delmarva and surrounding areas.
The new map was released Thursday, July 23, and reflects conditions through 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 21. This means rainfall that occurred after Tuesday morning is not included in the latest assessment.
Across the Delmarva Peninsula, the map continues to show a wide range of drought conditions. Moderate drought remains across much of the region, with areas of severe and extreme drought still present. A small pocket of exceptional drought, the highest category on the scale, also remains over the central portion of the peninsula.
Despite the continued drought, recent rainfall has allowed conditions to improve in portions of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and West Virginia. Rainfall totals during the drought-monitoring period generally ranged from 1 to 2 inches, although isolated locations received more than 5 inches.
The recent rain has helped increase soil moisture, streamflow and groundwater levels across parts of the region. Improvements have been most noticeable in areas that have received repeated thunderstorms during the past several weeks. However, rainfall has been uneven, leaving some communities with much larger precipitation deficits than others.
The remaining drought is the result of both short-term and longer-term precipitation deficits. Even where heavy thunderstorms have occurred, isolated downpours may not be enough to fully replenish groundwater, reservoirs or deeper soil moisture. The Drought Monitor notes that local conditions can vary considerably within each drought category.
Additional rainfall could bring further improvement during the coming weeks. The latest outlook favors above-normal precipitation along much of the Eastern Seaboard, while the heaviest seven-day rainfall totals are expected farther south across portions of Virginia and the Carolinas.
While the recent rainfall is encouraging, several weeks of consistent and widespread precipitation will likely be needed to significantly reduce the most intense drought conditions across Delmarva. Residents, farmers and local water managers should continue monitoring soil moisture, groundwater and any local water-use restrictions as the summer continues.
