HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Drought Task Force announced on Nov. 1 that 35 of the state’s 67 counties are experiencing drought conditions.
The counties of Adams, Allegheny, Beaver, Bucks, Butler, Carbon, Chester, Clearfield, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Indiana, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Somerset, Washington, Westmoreland and York are under a Drought Watch.
Berks and Schuylkill counties are under a Drought Warning due to consistent dry conditions. The Drought Task Force is monitoring other areas of the state.
While not required, residents and businesses are encouraged to voluntarily conserve water by reducing nonessential water use. Public water suppliers may request water conservation measures to ensure reliable delivery of drinking water.
Drought declarations are based on four factors – precipitation, stream flows, groundwater levels and soil moisture. DEP makes its drought declarations after assessing the departures from normal ranges for periods of 3-12 months. DEP also factors in information it receives from public water suppliers.
There are several different stages of drought declaration that can be declared by the state: Drought Watch, Drought Warning, and Drought Emergency.
- Drought Watch – a Drought Watch is typically declared for a county with three of the four factors in a “watch” status. Residents are encouraged, but not required, to voluntarily reduce their water use by 5-10%.
- Drought Warning – a Drought Warning is typically declared for a county with 3 of the four indicators in “warning” status. Residents are encouraged, but not required, to reduce their water use by 10-15%
- Drought Emergency – if conditions become more severe a Drought Emergency can be declared by the governor and emergency water restrictions can be implemented. In the unlikely event of a drought emergency, water suppliers and/or municipal governments will guide residents about water use and conservation.
DEP will not implement mandatory water use restrictions outside of a Drought Emergency. Individual public water systems may implement their own conservation measures.
Dry conditions have also heightened wildfire risk. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources advises those lighting fires at home or campsites to keep combustible items at least 10 feet away. A rake or shovel, along with water, should be readily available to fully extinguish embers. Officials also recommend checking DCNR’s website for elevated fire risk alerts.
More information about drought can be found on the DEP website: Drought Information
USDA help. The U.S. Department of Agriculture designated Fayette, Westmoreland, Cambria, Indiana, Greene, Cumberland and Washington counties in Pennsylvania as primary natural disaster areas for drought.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for eight or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional
The designation allows the USDA Farm Service Agency to extend emergency credit to farm operators in primary counties and contiguous counties. It also makes producers eligible for other FSA programs, like the Livestock Forage Disaster Program, Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program and Tree Assistance Program.
Contiguous counties are also eligible for some aid. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options.
