Drought — Inland Miami-dade, Florida

2018-05-01 to 2018-05-22 · Inland Miami-dade, Florida

Event narrative

Precipitation totals since February were only at 25 percent of normal levels over a large portion of the Everglades in Miami-Dade County, with a few spots near 10% of normal in the Water Conservation area 3. This prolonged period of below normal rainfall led to low groundwater levels across this area, including at Water Conservation area 3, before the onset of the rainy season in mid-May put an end to the severe drought by May 22nd.

Wider weather episode

A prolonged dry spell since February continued through the middle of May, leading to lingering severe drought conditions over interior portions of South Florida. The dry conditions coupled with near-record low groundwater levels contributed to the spread of wildfires, including the Avian Complex in eastern Collier County which burned over 82,000 acres.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 760594. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.