Drought in Metro Palm Beach County, Florida

Rainfall totals continued to be below normal over most of South Florida in December, with most areas receiving only 25 to 50 percent of normal for the month. As a result, severe drought (D2) conditions developed over metro and coastal Palm Beach County by month's end. Rainfall totals since June 1 were as much as 14 inches below normal at West Palm Beach. Most wells across the area were running at about 10 to 30 percent of normal water levels. The level of Lake Okeechobee dropped to 12.4 feet by the end of December, which is 2.2 feet below normal. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) was in the 550 to 600 range, which reflects a high fire danger and very low soil moisture values.

Drier than normal conditions which began in the summer continued through the fall and into December.