The D.C. area has been under a drought watch for almost a year, but with copious amounts of rain in the last few weeks, including Friday’s stormy deluge, is the region out of the woods?
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“Not yet,” said expert Michael Nardolilli, executive director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. And because the drought was issued in July, people are advised to use water wisely.
The region has gotten a lot of rain, but it’s not enough to lift the watch.
“About 65% of the rainfall we get in the Potomac basin evaporates, so only about 35% then goes into a water body,” Nardolilli said, adding that even less makes it into the groundwater, which is what is needed to address the drought.
Last month, the D.C. area had between a 22% to 36% probability that it will need to draw down reservoir reserves this summer and fall. Nardolilli said, however, because of all the recent rain, those odds have dropped a little.
“Now our numbers are 10% to 20% probability of having a reservoir release,” he said.
The good news, Nardolilli said, is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting the area will get above average rainfall between now and the end of August.
“If that happens then they also predict that the areas that are currently in drought or moderate drought will then move into nondrought,” Nardolilli said. “Right now, we’re moving into that area where we can say we do have a comfort level, but we’re not there yet.”
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