A water shortage warning for most of Lee and Collier counties was lifted Thursday by the South Florida Water Management District.
The warning, in place since Feb. 5, changed because counties received 4.46 inches of rain since the start of the wet season on May 15, according to the district. The rainfall is more than 140 percent of “normal” and has helped raise groundwater levels by about three feet in the Lower Tamiami Aquifer.
The district is maintaining a modified water shortage order for an area of northeastern Cape Coral in Lee County and encouraged residents and businesses in the counties to conserve water and limit irrigation.
The district’s action followed the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department announcing a burn ban issued under the municipal code had been lifted on Wednesday.
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A release from the department noted the decision was made “following consultation with the National Weather Service, Florida Forest Service, and the Emergency Preparedness Division.”
“The recent rain has helped, and we expect that trend to continue,” Fire Chief Percy Golden II said in a release. “We know the drought conditions have not disappeared, and JFRD is still paying close attention.”
Hernando County lifted its burn ban for unincorporated areas on May 26 after seeing a reduced number of brush fire responses and “adequate” rainfall to drop the Keetch-Byram Drought Index.
Still, large portions of the state outside the Panhandle remain under moderate to significant risk of wildfire danger, according to the index posted on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website on Thursday.
On May 19, members of the Cabinet warned that without significant rains to end drought conditions, advisories could be issued regarding the use of fireworks for the Fourth of July.
