82% of Florida experiencing drought conditions. See worst areas and whether rain expected soon
More than 82% of Florida is suffering from drought conditions ranging from moderate to extreme, according to NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System.
Two areas of extreme drought exist in the state, with the largest in South Florida now extending from coast to coast.
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The drought is keeping the number of wildfires burning in the state high, with 102 burning Friday, May 2, according to the Florida Fire Service.
There is a possibility of rain this weekend.
There are 23 counties under burn bans, almost one-third of the state's 67 counties.
The mean statewide drought index is at 488.
NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System said 82.2 percent of Florida is under drought conditions, ranging from moderate to extreme.
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The breakdown of drought conditions in the state, which affects 16.6 million residents, is:
Abnormally dry: 16.5%
Moderate drought: 35.5%
Severe drought: 29.9%
Extreme drought: 16.9%
Exceptional drought: 0%
➤ Maps: See drought conditions by county
"Rainfall deficits over the last 90 days have reached widespread of 2-4" inches below normal throughout most of the state, with areas north of and along the I-10 corridor as well as much of South Florida seeing larger departures near 4-8' below normal," according to the Florida Department of Emergency Management.
Even North Florida and the Panhandle is seeing abnormally dry conditions and moderate drought.
The Climate Prediction Center is "predicting above-normal temperatures for the entire state and leaning below normal rain chances throughout the Big Bend and the Peninsula for the month of May," according to the Florida Department of Emergency Management.
Rain chances are expected to increase for some areas over the weekend, though, especially on the state's west coast and east-central Florida, according to the National Weather Service.
There were 16 active wildfires burning as of Friday morning.
The largest fires in the state are:
Hurst Hammock Fire: 200 acres in Escambia County. 80% contained
Sidell East Fire: 34 acres in Manatee County. 90% contained
Crooked Creek Lane Fire: 25 acres in Hardee County. 80% contained
"Wildfire names are generally based on the geographic location of the fire or a nearby geographic feature," according to Tim Brown, communications manager with the Florida Forest Service, in an email.
"For example, the '344 Fire' was due to its location near 344 Street."
Don't look for any rain Friday for most of Florida, but isolated showers — only 20% chances — are possible in the morning and early afternoon south of Patrick Space Force Base. Isolated showers and lightning storms are possible near the St. Lucie/Martin County coasts, according to the National Weather Service Melbourne.
Western Panhandle, Pensacola: Mostly sunny. High 80. Low 72.
Central Panhandle, Tallahassee: Mostly sunny. High 87. Low 63.
Northeast Florida, Jacksonville: Mostly sunny. High 87. Low 67.
East Coast, Central Florida from Daytona Beach to Stuart: Slight chance for showers in the morning, then partly sunny. High 82. Low 69.
South Florida, West Palm Beach, Naples: Slight chance for showers in the morning, then partly sunny. High 77. Low 75.
Southwest Florida, Fort Myers to Sarasota: Mostly sunny. High 80. Low 71.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index mean for Florida was 488 on May 2. The drought index uses a scale from 0, which is very wet, to 800, which is very dry.
As of May 1, there were 14 counties with a drought index over 600, which means severe drought conditions with an increased risk for wildfires.
There were 17 Florida counties with a mean Keetch-Byram Drought Index over 500, which means drought or increased fire danger.
Here are the counties with a drought index over 600, which is associated with more severe drought with increased wildfire occurring:
Counties in bold were just added to each section.
Broward: 622
Charlotte: 639
Collier: 656
DeSoto: 612
Glades: 627
Hardee: 638
Hendry: 658
Lake: 611
Lee: 668
Manatee: 628
Miami-Dade: 622
Monroe: 622
Palm Beach: 645
Sarasota: 634
Counties with drought index in the 500s:
Brevard: 547
Citrus: 515
Flagler: 543
Hernando: 530
Highlands: 593
Hillsborough: 578
Marion: 505
Martin: 594
Okeechobee: 561
Orange: 576
Osceola: 528
Pasco: 599
Pinellas: 530
Polk: 587
Seminole: 579
Sumter: 590
Volusia: 593
Another eight of Florida's 67 counties have index numbers in the 400s.
Here's an explanation of what the Keetch-Byram Drought Index numbers mean, according to the Wildland Fire Assessment System.
0-200: Soil moisture and large-class fuel moistures are high and do not contribute much to fire intensity. Typical of spring dormant season following winter precipitation.
200-400: Typical of late spring, early growing season. Lower litter and duff layers are drying and beginning to contribute to fire intensity.
400-600: Typical of late summer, early fall. Lower litter and duff layers actively contribute to fire intensity and will burn actively.
600-800: Often associated with more severe drought with increased wildfire occurrence. Intense, deep burning fires with significant downwind spotting can be expected. Live fuels can also be expected to burn actively at these levels.
According to the Florida Forest Service, as of May 2, 23 burn bans are in place for the following counties:
Brevard
Charlotte
Citrus
Collier
DeSoto
Flagler
Glades
Hardee
Hendry
Hernando
Highlands
Lake
Lee
Manatee
Okeechobee
Orange
Osceola
Pasco
Polk
Sarasota
Seminole
Sumter
Volusia
The open burning of yard debris is always prohibited in these counties:
Duval
Hillsborough
Orange
Pinellas
We will continue to update our weather coverage as conditions warrant. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida drought, dry weather has Wildfires burning. Will it rain soon?
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