COMPARISON OF RECENT DROUGHTS IN NORTHEASTERN U

COMPARISON OF RECENT DROUGHTS IN NORTHEASTERN U.S.
Revised - August 5, 1999
FACTOR	1960'S	1979-81	1984-85	1988-89	1991-92	1993	1994-95	1998-99 Continuing
1) Length	Fall 1961 - Spring 1967 5 years +	Fall 1979 - Spring 1981 1 1/2 years	Summer84-Summer'85 1 year	Fall 88 - Spring 89 9 months	Spring 91-Summer 92 15 months	Spring 93-Fall 93 9 months	Fall 1994-Fall 1995 1 Year	June 1998-Aug 1999 14 months
2) Area	From central Maine through eastern Ohio and south through North Carolina [100,000 sq. miles]	From Maine through theCarolinas east of the Appalachians Great Plains south throughTexas, Rocky Mountains,portions of far west	From Maine through Florida, generally east of the Appalachians	From Maine through PA east of Appalachians	Northeast,Ohio Valley Midwest	Eastern U.S. Maine to Florida	From Maine south through VA, and west to Ohio	From New England to NC westward to OH, KY
3) Maximum Precipitation Deficiency	50 inches + From southwestern CT to northern Delaware (Oct 1961 - Dec 1965) 75 % of normal	15 inches + Scattered locats in MA, CT ern PA, NC, SC [Sept 79 -Jan 81] 75 % of normal	up to 20 inches NH, CT, sern. NY, RI [Aug 84 - Apr 85] 50 % of normal	12 inches CT, MA, ME, NY, NJ, PA	14 inches PA, WV	12 inches ME (9/92-9/93) 9 inches SC	Greatest deficiencies in NY, NJ, PA, DE Maximum deficiency 12.6 in, Middlesex, NJ (9/94-9/95) 13.1 Lackawanna Co. PA	Greatest deficiencies in VA, MD, WV up to 20 inches + 60% of norm
4) Streamflow Trenton, NJ Delaware R.	All time record low streamflows (Delaware River, Potomac ) [1180 CFS ] [October 1963]	Below normal flowsA few record low monthly Streamflows January 1981 [2429 CFS ] [January 1981 ]	Lowest mean flow for Apr 1985, NJ index stations [3100 CFS]	Below normal flows [3800 CFS] October 1988	Allegheny R. 24% normal Delaware R. 45% of normal [2680 CFS]	Raritan R. NJ 48% Delaware R. 50% [300 CFS] August 1993	Raritan R. 36% of norm; Hackensack, Ramapo at record low Hudson at Hadley and Green Is. record low Flows in PA streams 30 % of normal [2630 CFS] August 1995	Record low monthly flows July 1999 - PA, VA, WV 50% of stream flow sites in lower 10% on record [2300 CFS] July 1999
5) Groundwater Levels	Many Wells at record low levels Water table 5 to 10 feet below normal	Below normal 4 of 13 wells in NJ at monthly record lows levels for Mar during January	Below normal A few monthly 1981Apr-95	2 to 5 feet below normal	Below normal	Locally below normal	Water table 2-4 feet below normal NJ	Record low levels for time of year
6) Runoff 52 year median Delaware River 1913 - 1965	[12.1 inches (1965) ] 50 % of normal	[14.6 inches/1980 ] 60 % of normal	20 % of normal Feb, Mar, Apr 1985 NYC Resvr system 50 % of normal MA, RI, Delaware R/ Trenton Jan-Mar 1985 38 % of normal	est. 65% of normal
7) Water Supply Delaware Basin NYC Water Supply	25 % of capacity 1965	25 % of capacity Feb 1981	40 % of capacity Dec 1984	45% capacity	32% of capacity Nov-91	37% of capacity Nov-93	NYC Total 9/14 58.1%, norm 78.7% Wilmington DE lowest water levels ever - 44 % of capacity 9/16/95	Shallow wells running dry. Some communities in VA,WV,PA, MD, NJ are on water restriction. City of Baltimore 35-60 days supply of water.
8) Palmer Drought Index	-6 Extreme drought	-4.5 Just into Severe drought category	-5 Severe drought	-2.5 Moderate drought	-4.1 NW PA	-4.6 SC -4.4 LI -4.0 ME	-4.6 se CT, -4.5 LI, -5.0 DE	-5.7 MD -5.5 WV. Extreme drought - MD, VA, WV, DE, NY
9) Drought Declarations							Drought Emergencies: ern PA, nrn. NJ Rockland CO., NY, nrn DE Drought Warning: cntrl PA, NYC Metro, entire Delaware River Basin, se NY (16 counties) Drought Watch: LI, counties in se NY, wrn PA	Numerous Drought declarations in WV, VA, MD, DE, NJ, PA, NYand CT. PA - Drought emergency for 55 counties. MD - Statewide mandatory water restrictions.
10) Salt-water Intrusion							Hudson R. - Poughkeepsie (75 miles up-river) Delaware R. - nr River mile 88.1 miles south of Philadelphia Airport.	Del R - nr. river mile 85.4 miles south of PHL arpt
11) Agricultural Impact							PA Corn, Soy beans. MD/DE up to 3/4 corn soybean, tobacco crops destroyed	Widespread impact in Mid-Atlantic. Federal disaster declarations in several states.
12) Fire Danger							"Extreme" fire conditions in federal/state forests	"Extreme" fire conditions in federal/state forests. Small brush fires reported.

The table above is courtesy of the Hydrological Services Division of the NWS Eastern Region Headquarters.

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