Over 3 million in Maryland still facing drought despite recent rain
Parts of Baltimore, Carroll and Harford counties continue to experience unseasonably dry conditions. Liberty Reservoir — a major source of drinking water for the region — has dropped to its lowest level in nearly 20 years, prompting the Baltimore Department of Public Works earlier this month to issue voluntary water restrictions for the city and surrounding counties.
Statewide, 43% of Maryland is experiencing moderate drought, while 24.6% is considered abnormally dry, according to drought data released Thursday. Weather experts say several factors are contributing to the drought, including persistent wind patterns and a lackluster winter snowfall.
'This past spring has been windy with prevailing winds from the west and northwest. Any cold fronts tend to lose moisture heading through,' AccuWeather lead long-range expert Paul Pastelok said in an email. 'In addition, it has been a very windy spring and any rain that falls runs off or dries out before it's absorbed. Also, it was not a very snowy winter. Snow in the winter helps the deeper layers of soil stay moist in the spring, and helps with deeper root systems. 12.7 inches of snow fell this winter, compared to the historical average of 19.3 inches.'
The impacts of drought conditions are being felt in Baltimore's surrounding areas.
In Harford County, 244,826 people are affected by drought conditions. From January through April, the area experienced its fifth driest start to the year in 131 years of monitoring precipitation.
Baltimore County is also struggling: From January through April, rainfall totals were 4.39 inches below normal, with last month being the 60th driest April on record over the past 131 years, drought data shows.
Over 78% of Carroll County residents are experiencing drought, with January through April ranking the third driest year to date over the past 131 years.
In Anne Arundel County, 38% of residents, or 204,365 people, are affected by drought.
Relief might be on the horizon, according to Pastelok.
'Late May and June still look active, with more cold fronts and rainfall that could ease drought conditions,' Pastelok said. 'We expect near to slightly above average rainfall this summer. If tropical systems from the Gulf track north, that could quickly boost rainfall totals — though pockets of drought may linger into early summer. Drier weather could return later in the season if those storms miss the region.'
Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com or on X as @ToddKarpovich
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Hurricane Erin weakens to a Category 3 but remains dangerous: Updates
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The core of Erin is expected to pass to the east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas late on Aug. 17 and on Aug. 18. The meteorological services of France and the Netherlands discontinued tropical storm watches for St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, and Sint Maarten, the National Hurricane Center said. U.S. shores are unlikely to see a direct hit, but a strong offshore hurricane can produce massive and dangerous waves well away from its center, AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said. "The storm is forecast to remain hundreds of miles off the East Coast," DaSilva said, adding that "beaches along the entire East Coast, from Florida to New England and Atlantic Canada, will likely experience rough surf and dangerous rip currents as Erin tracks north and eventually northeast." Swells generated by Erin will continue to affect parts of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Turks and Caicos Islands for the next couple of days, the hurricane center said. These swells will spread to the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada during the early and middle portions of the week. Hurricane Erin tracker: See map of the storm's forecasted path 'Major coastal flooding' possible in North Carolina Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan said 50-foot waves could occur near the center and to the right of Erin as the storm moves north, resulting in large breaking waves at beaches along the coast. Wave heights, long-period swells, and life-threatening rip currents — powerful currents of water that can rapidly carry swimmers out to deeper waters — are expected to increase along East Coast beaches by Aug. 18, according to the hurricane center and local National Weather Service offices. Even from far offshore, "the threat for life-threatening rip currents, damaging beach erosion, major coastal flooding and extremely dangerous surf is increasing," the National Weather Service office in Morehead City, North Carolina, said on Aug. 17. Wave heights could range from 12 to 20 feet along the Outer Banks, the office reports. AccuWeather said Portions of the Outer Banks and the Virginia beaches will experience a storm surge up to several feet and "significant" coastal flooding and beach erosion. North Carolina's Highway 12 could see heavy overwash with closures possible beginning around midweek. How fast did Hurricane Erin intensify? Erin quickly exceeded expectations, undergoing a period of strengthening that the hurricane center refers to as "rapid intensification." Erin's burst of intensification will be among the most rapid ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. Erin's winds increased 45 mph in just 12 hours overnight on Aug. 15, from 75 mph to 120 mph. Ultimately, its wind speeds increased a total of 80 mph in just 18 hours from Friday to Saturday. In a post-season summary of the 2024 hurricane season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that Hurricane Milton's rate of intensification — 90 mph in 24 hours in October 2024 — was "among the highest ever observed." At least two other hurricanes have exceeded that increase. In 2005, Hurricane Wilma's winds increased to 125 mph in 24 hours. In 2007, wind speeds in Hurricane Felix increased by 100 mph in 24 hours, according to hurricane center data. Hurricane Erin brings heavy rain to Puerto Rico The tropical storm watch in the Southeast Bahamas means tropical storm conditions are possible within the area for over 24 hours. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours. Rain bands in Erin's expanding quadrants raked Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands late Aug. 16, with heavy rain and tropical storm force wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph, prompting flash flood warnings in some locations. The National Weather Service warned that up to 8 inches of rain was possible. On the night of Aug. 16, a buoy near the storm in a north-northeastward direction from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was recording significant wave heights of 22 to 28 feet. That's the average of the highest one-third of waves being measured at the buoy. What else is happening in the Atlantic? Storm activity is increasing in the Atlantic Ocean as the 2025 hurricane season reaches the time of year when peak activity traditionally begins. Along with Hurricane Erin, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring two other potential tropical disturbances; one is a couple of hundred miles off the North Carolina coast, with a very low percentage of developing into a tropical storm; another is in the eastern region of the central tropical Atlantic. A westward-moving tropical wave could produce an area of low pressure in the tropical Atlantic late in the week of Aug. 18, the hurricane center said. But the center shows a 20% chance of storm formation over the next week. If the wave beats the odds and becomes the next named tropical storm, it would receive the name Fernand. A long-term outlook from the Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also shows the potential for storm formation increasing between the eastern Caribbean and the African coast. It lists the chances of storm formation in the central tropical Atlantic at greater than 40% during the seven days beginning on Aug. 20. When did the 2025 hurricane season begin? The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and lasts through the end of November. The Atlantic basin includes the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of America. Based on a 30-year climate period from 1991 to 2020, the average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes, the National Hurricane Center said. Active hurricane weather typically peaks between mid-August and mid-October. The eastern Pacific has a slightly longer hurricane season, running from May 15 to November 30. The eastern Pacific basin extends from Mexico and Central America westward. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Erin: Category 3 storm could impact entire East Coast
