NEW YORK (PIX11) – Rain is coming down across the tri-state area on Thursday as the drought continues to persist.
A drought warning was declared in New York City on Monday, the first one in over 20 years. It's the second of three levels, with the final being a drought emergency – which would enforce mandatory water conservation efforts for homes and businesses.
But will the wet weather alleviate the drought?
The rain may not be enough to replenish reservoirs or even saturate the ground, officials said. During wildfires, burning can continue a foot below brush where it's extremely dry or smolder inside tree trunks, according to the FDNY.
It could be several days before those types of fires can be put out.
"The terrain we've encountered in over 300 brush fires this month has been treacherous. This is not an open field in the parks that people are used to walking around and also it's thick forestry, there's no hydrants in this area," said FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker. "This is real, dangerous fire fighting."
In New Jersey, the Manasquan Reservoir sits at 49.16% capacity – the lowest it has been since the early 90s, when it was constructed and filled for the first time.
It's responsible for delivering 30 million gallons of water a day to Monmouth County, providing 60% of the drinking water for towns including Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights and Wall.
A burn ban is still in effect in both New York and New Jersey.
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.
