Florida drought causing wildfires throughout FL — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Tom Fawls
In the Sunshine State, where winter and spring have been extremely dry, many municipalities are currently experiencing a precipitation shortfall, which is always a risk factor as the state’s yearly dry season gets underway.
Orlando has received just 1.89″ of rain since the beginning of the year, while Naples has received less than an inch, and nearly all major cities from Jacksonville to Key West are reporting a deficit.
More than half of the Florida Peninsula is experiencing severe drought as a result of the lack of precipitation, which has caused abnormally dry conditions throughout 88 percent of the state.
According to the Florida Forest Service, scores of wildfires have been started as a result of the oncoming drought, scorching more than 5,200 acres.
The Sunshine State has seen an extremely dry winter and early spring, which has left many areas in need of precipitation, a factor that is always problematic when the state’s yearly dry season is in full swing.
From Jacksonville to Key West, almost all major cities are reporting a deficit, with Orlando only receiving 1.89″ of rain since the year’s beginning and Naples reporting less than an inch.
Due to the lack of precipitation, 88 percent of the state is abnormally dry, with more than half of the Florida Peninsula facing a severe drought.
According to the Florida Forest Service, the oncoming drought has contributed to the start of numerous wildfires that have burned more than 5,200 acres.
More than 3,200 homes have been damaged in Volusia County due to one of the biggest wildfires that are now blazing in Central Florida. No reports of damaged residences have been made, according to firefighter estimates that most of the flames are in rural regions close to Tiger Bay State Forest.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, severe drought conditions are present in 55 percent of the state, and they are becoming worse every day.
Crop losses are typically likely during a severe drought, towns start to confront water shortages, and restrictions are put in place.
According to firefighters, Hurricanes Ian and Nicole likely made the fire threat worse by knocking down vegetation, which burns quickly in wildfires.
The Sunshine State was likely to be affected by dry conditions and face increasing wildfire hazards, the National Interagency Fire Center has warned for the better part of a year.
“The Florida Peninsula will continue with a forecast of above normal significant fire potential through at least May, due to worsening drought, above normal temperatures, and forecast below normal rainfall. The early green-up has accelerated the depletion of water left behind from 2022’s hurricanes, with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) data indicating that soil moisture is below the 10th percentile over a good part of the central and southern peninsula,” the NIFC wrote in its latest outlook.
Similar to the current situation of the world, a degenerating La Nia in 2012 caused severe drought conditions in the Southeast and Florida.
Forecasters at the time noted near-record warmth in the state and abnormally little rainfall.
Large wildfires that were visible from orbit started to spread as a result of the heat and lack of moisture.
In the spring, a sizable fire raged close to the Georgia-Florida border in the Osceola National Forest. The “County Line Fire,” as it was known, burned more than 30,000 acres, although the smoke caused the most damage.
Major towns like Tallahassee and Jacksonville had numerous days of poor air quality and smoke-filled skies, depending on the direction of the wind.
At least nine Florida counties have implemented burn restrictions that prohibit campfires and bonfires and restrict the burning of trash and yard waste in an effort to lessen the risk of fires getting out of control.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
