PLYMOUTH COUNTY– All of Plymouth County remains under a drought “watch” despite the recent rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine, with areas of the county under the more severe “warning” category.
The U.S. Drought Monitor, produced jointly by The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s National Drought Mitigation Center, the U.S Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, states that drought conditions are getting worse.
54.7% of the state is experiencing a “severe” drought, and 22.6% of the state is in an “extreme” drought.
“Drought conditions worsened in Massachusetts and surrounding areas,” officials stated, even despite recent rainfall.
State officials are continuing to urge the public to conserve water in light of the ongoing conditions.
The state is also planning to offer grants to struggling farms and is putting plans in place to provide enough water for firefighting and public safety.
Those plans include efforts to ensure mutual aid is in place to make sure there is enough water to go around should there be a major fire in one community that uses up a significant amount of water.
“Our Administration continues to support communities across the Commonwealth to work in unison as we prepare for the very serious ramifications that a prolonged drought can have on our economy and public safety,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito in a statement.
The previous five months have been abnormally dry. While 100% of the state is under some sort of watch or warning today, about 80% of the state was not under any sort of watch or warning at the beginning of March, according to the monitor.