The record
Everything the slot carries, as measured. Series arrays are drawn above and listed here in full.
| event_type | Drought |
|---|---|
| ncei_event_id | 5,715,239 |
| episode_id | 2,412,174 |
| begin_utc | 1999-07-01T05:00:00+00:00 |
| end_utc | 1999-08-01T04:59:00+00:00 |
| state | PENNSYLVANIA |
| cz_type | Z |
| cz_name | MONTGOMERY |
| deaths_direct | 0 |
| deaths_indirect | 0 |
| injuries_direct | 0 |
| injuries_indirect | 0 |
| wfo_source | GOVT OFFICIAL |
| episode_narrative | The drought intensified throughout July across eastern Pennsylvania. For the fourth consecutive month, below normal precipitation continued. On a county weighted average for July, between 0.3 inches (in Lehigh County) and 2.0 inches (in Delaware County) fell. Less than one inch of rain fell across the Lehigh Valley, Berks County and Philadelphia's northwest suburbs. It was the driest July on record at the Lehigh Valley International Airport and one of the ten driest Julys on record at the Philadelphia International Airport. The July monthly normal rainfall is around 4.5 inches. The effects of the drought increased as the month wore on. The unseasonably hot July 4th weekend did not help. In the first third of the month fire marshals already banned open fires in Chester and Northampton Counties. A brush fire in Upper Uwchlan Township (Chester County) spread from two to 40 acres in 40 minutes. Brush fires have doubled in the Lehigh Valley since early June. In the second third of the month additional burning bans were implemented by more townships in Berks, Chester, Montgomery, Northampton, Carbon and Monroe Counties. In the Poconos the availability of water from ponds and streams for firefighters in areas not served by hydrants was becoming a problem. Hay bales were spontaneously combusting in Chester County. A car fire on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 78 in Lower Saucon Township (Northampton County) spread to nearby brush and forced the closure of the eastbound lanes on the interstate. During the last third of the month outdoor burning bans were implemented by numerous other municipalities. By the end of July, 18 of the 20 townships in Monroe County had imposed burning bans. On July 22nd the heads of the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources declared bans on all open fires in the 3.5 million acres of state forests and gamelands. Streamflow and groundwater levels which started the month at or near record low levels continued to fall lower. This left municipalities which rely on smaller reservoirs or groundwater to ask for voluntary cutbacks on water usage. Some though were in worse shape. In Bucks County, water emergencies were declared in Buckingham, Warrington and Upper Makefield Townships. Mandatory restrictions were implemented. Residents could not water lawns, wash cars or fill swimming pools. Later in the month, Buckingham Township went as far as surcharging homes that use more than 225 gallons a day. Upstream reservoir releases were started to maintain streamflow along the Delaware River and Brandywine Creeks. This would be a "normal" procedure during the autumn of a dry summer. Conditions worsened during the second third of the month. The Jordan Creek in South Whitehall Township (Lehigh County) stopped flowing. The Reading Water Authority and the Citizens Utilities Water Company (both Berks County) declared drought emergencies by the 19th and banned all non-essential water use. On the 20th Coatesville (Chester County) started emergency pumping of the West Branch of the Brandywine and the Octoraro Creeks because of low reservoir levels. One third of all of Chester County's wells are at historic lows. With no end in sight on July 21st Governor Tom Ridge signed a proclamation declaring a drought emergency throughout most of Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission also declared a drought emergency. The drought emergency banned all non-essential water usage including watering lawns, washing cars with a hose, washing of sidewalks and driveways, serving of water in restaurants unless requested, filling of residential swimming pools, watering fairways and all indoor/outdoor water fountains. The drought emergency allows state and local agencies to hire, purchase and contract water companies without the usual bid requirements. The declaration allows communities to implement mandatory water conservation measures, local drought emergency plans and enforce water conservation methods. The emergency allows water suppliers, with Department of Environmental Protection approval to implement local water-rationing plans in the event conditions get worse. Resources may also be marshalled to respond to actual emergency conditions to avoid depletion of water supply, ensure health and safety and to support essential and high priority water use. At the time of the drought emergency declaration, 21 of the state's 50 monitoring wells were at emergency levels. Along the Delaware River, the unusually low flow pushed the salt front farther north than normal. Nevertheless, with no significant rainfall in sight and to save precious water, the Delaware River Commission reduced its target flow at Trenton from 3,000 to 2,700 cubic feet per second. This forced industries below (south) of the Philadelphia International Airport that use river water for processing to turn to alternative water sources to avoid corrosion. This also forced expensive purification efforts for municipalities south of the airport that rely on the river for drinking water. As the month ended, drought conditions intensified further. Record low streamflows were recorded at a number of creeks including the Marsh Creek at Glenmoore (Chester County), Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford (Delaware County), Neshaminy Creek at Langhorne (Bucks County), Wissahickon Creek at Philadelphia and the Ridley Creek at Media (Delaware County). The creeks were all flowing at only 10 percent of normal streamflow. Emergency well drilling permits increased as wells were running dry. In Montgomery County alone 93 emergency permits were issued for 22 of the county's municipalities to either dig new or deepen existing wells. The low streamflow and groundwater levels also led to water quality problems. Algae blooms, brown water and higher concentrations of pollution were common. The city of Philadelphia had to use taste improving chemicals on the water it withdrew from the Schuylkill River because of green algae. The drought coincided with the growing season. The April 1st through July 31st four month period was the fourteenth driest on record over the past 105 years in the state of Pennsylvania. Farmers in the state were feeling a double pinch. Irrigation, if possible, was driving up the costs of farming. Meanwhile, ideal growing conditions elsewhere in the country kept crop prices low. Irrigation was occurring everywhere if possible. Irrigation ponds and wells were drying out. Adjectives such as total devastation, desperately thirsting for water, total crop failure were used to describe conditions. It was estimated that the corn crop loss in the state could reach 100 million dollars. In Berks County, farmers pegged losses of corn, soybean and hay crops between 75 and 100 percent. In Bucks County, farmers were expecting a 75 to 87 percent reduction in their normal corn crop. In the Lehigh Valley, the second alfalfa cutting was expected to be 25 percent of normal, the soybean crop one third of normal and the corn crop half of normal. Supplemental feeding , some that is normally saved for the winter, was occurring throughout Eastern Pennsylvania. Some farmers went as far as to sell steers. The hot weather also cut back milk production by about 20 percent. Throughout the state 91 percent of the soil moisture was rated as either short or very short. Sixty-four percent of the corn crop and 89 percent of the pastures were rated as either poor or very poor.The drought also affected the quality of life in other ways. Sprinkler caps were removed within the city of Philadelphia to conserve water during one of the hottest Julys on record. There was a large drop in sales of trees, shrubs and plants from nurseries and garden centers. At the same time their costs were increasing because of needed irrigation. Landscapers had fewer lawns to mow. Pond plants were dying and companies that specialize in building backyard ponds were hurting. Low water levels made it impossible, difficult and dangerous to use waterways and boating access points for fishing and boating. Amusement parks cut back on their water usage and Longwood Gardens (Chester County) curtailed their daily fountain displays. Fish were dying because of low streamflows. The amount of pollution increases, lower water levels led to higher stream temperatures, less dissolved oxygen and more algae. |
| year | 1,999 |
Provenance
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Storage: spine