NEW YORK (PIX11) – New York City is under a drought watch as firefighters battle wildfires across the state.
Only one night of rain on Sunday offered some relief after over a month of no wet weather.
The watch will likely be upgraded to a drought warning if conditions don't improve in the coming weeks, according to the city Department of Environmental Protection. A warning would push for more voluntary water-saving actions. City agencies would be asked to implement drought protocols.
When was the last time New York City experienced a drought?
New York City experienced a drought that lasted for over a year, from 2001 to 2003.
A drought watch was declared on Dec. 23, 2001, when the city's water reservoirs were 44.4% full. The watch was upgraded to a warning on Jan. 27, 2002. The city's water storage decreased to 41.5%, prompting the warning.
New York City entered a drought emergency on April 1, 2002. A drought emergency forces homes and businesses to restrict how much water they use.
During a drought emergency, restaurants can't serve water unless a customer requests it, you can't fill a pool, wash your car, or water your grass, and fountains would be shut down. You could also be fined if you're caught breaking drought emergency protocol.
The emergency was downgraded to a watch on Nov. 1, 2002, before the drought was officially declared over on Jan. 1, 2003. The city's water reservoirs were over 90% full when the drought ended.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
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