Drought in Far South Miami-dade County, Florida

April continued the stretch of very dry conditions across South Florida. The five-month period from November 2008 to April 2009 was the second driest on record for most South Florida locations. April rainfall was less than an inch at most locations, with only metro sections of Southeast Florida receiving between 1.5 and 2.5 inches for the month.

Drought conditions spread and intensified across the region. Extreme drought (D3) were noted over interior South Florida, with severe drought (D2) noted over the remainder of mainland South Florida. The level of Lake Okeechobee fell from 12.2 feet at the beginning of the month to 11.1 feet by the end of the month, which was 2.5 feet below normal levels.

A very dry April across South Florida led to the intensification of drought conditions.