The record
Everything the slot carries, as measured. Series arrays are drawn above and listed here in full.
| event_type | Drought |
|---|---|
| ncei_event_id | 5,719,358 |
| episode_id | 2,414,247 |
| begin_utc | 1999-08-01T05:00:00+00:00 |
| end_utc | 1999-08-02T04:59:00+00:00 |
| state | NEW JERSEY |
| cz_type | Z |
| cz_name | EASTERN CAPE MAY |
| deaths_direct | 0 |
| deaths_indirect | 0 |
| injuries_direct | 0 |
| injuries_indirect | 0 |
| wfo_source | GOVT OFFICIAL |
| episode_narrative | The drought continued throughout the first half of August across New Jersey. Crops were decimated, especially grain and forage crops in the northern part of the state. Crop losses were estimated at exceeding $80 million dollars. The drought started to break during the second half of the month as the strong ridge of high pressure was suppressed farther to the south. For the first month since March, monthly rainfall totals for August were around or greater than normal. For the state of New Jersey, August's rainfall total averaged 5.08 inches, 117 percent of normal. On a county weighted average August monthly rainfall totals ranged from 3.6 inches in Cape May County to 8.4 inches in Ocean County. Every county but Cape May County had at least 4 inches of rain. The August normal monthly rainfall is around 4.3 inches. The first half of August continued the dire drought conditions across New Jersey. Mandatory water restrictions were already in place in Monmouth County at the start of the month. On August 2nd, Governor Christie Whitman declared a drought warning and asked for voluntary reductions in water consumption. She ordered state agencies to conserve water use by not watering lawns and washing vehicles. After public hearings were held, the State Department of Environmental Protection could order water transferred from one area to another to address shortages. More drastic measures were needed in Roxbury Township (Morris County) as the combination of high demand and operation problems with the wells forced the council to pass a resolution that banned all outdoor water use. Ironically water consumption rose after the drought warning was declared. Thus on August 5th, Governor Christie Whitman declared a drought emergency and implemented mandatory water restrictions. This was the first drought emergency since 1995. Lawn watering was restricted to newly seeded/sodded areas for short periods. Watering of gardens could only be done by watering cans and/or hand held hoses. Car washing was banned as was operating ornamental water fountains and washing of any paved surfaces. Restaurants could not serve water unless patrons asked. Commercial car washes could stay in business as long as they used recycled water and shorten their rinse cycle. Using of fire hydrant water for flushing sewers, for fire drills or by municipal workers or contractors was prohibited except in emergencies. Golf courses could only water tee and green areas. The restrictions included homes with well water and carried fines of up to $5,000. Persons were also asked to cut down on internal water use by running dishwashers and washers with only full loads and not running water while brushing teeth or shaving. Later in the month restrictions were loosened to permit minimal watering of athletic fields for safety reasons. Older wells continued to fail in the northwest part of the state particularly in Hunterdon and Sussex Counties. On August 18th, the Delaware River Basin Commission voted to tap into water supplies normally reserved for power, recreational and flood control to maintain flow along the Delaware River and some of its tributaries. Releases would be rotated from the F. E. Walter Dam (Carbon County), Lake Wallenpaupack (Pike County), Lake Nockamixon (Bucks County) and the Mongaup System (Upstate New York). The Commission also asked big industries that use their own source of water to develop contingency plans to cut back on water usage if the drought persisted. The drought restrictions were working as one of the state's largest water utilities reported water usage dropped by 39 percent. Crop losses due to drought throughout the state were estimated to exceed 80 million dollars. Farmers were hit with a double whammy of both drought and low commodity prices because of a worldwide crop glut and ideal growing conditions in the central part of the country. Grain and forage crops were hit the hardest. Field corn losses in the northern part of the state averaged between 75 to 100 percent. On August 8th, 80 percent of the topsoil and all of the pastures were rated as either poor or very poor. Produce farmers were also having problems as wells and streams were drying out as irrigation equipment was running 24 hours a day. Many of these farms were only a few weeks away from a total disaster. Fall crops (pumpkins, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and squash) were also in danger of failing if the drought continued. Livestock dealers auctioned off animals because they did not have enough food to feed them. On August 10th, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman declared 19 counties in New Jersey a drought disaster. This made farmers in those counties and adjacent ones eligible for low interest loans of up to $500,000. Farmers eligible for help must have lost at least 30 percent of their crops, have adequate security, be turned down by two banks and be able to repay the loan. The Department of Agriculture also will provide $20 million dollars in grants to provide emergency services to low income migrant and seasonal farm workers in declared drought disaster areas. The Small Business Administration will also make federal disaster loans available to small agriculture dependent businesses. The drought continued to have other affects across the state. On August 4th, the New Jersey Forestry Service banned all outdoor fires in state forests and parks except for gas grills. Some hiking trails were even closed in the northern part of the state. Many hemlock trees were getting decimated by both the drought and parasites. During July, the forestry service responded to three times the normal fires. On August 3rd, they responded to 23 blazes alone. Discarded cigarette butts, arson, campfires, automobile's catalytic converters and decomposing piles of hay and mulch which spontaneously burst all contributed to the increase number. In Harrison Township (Gloucester County), it took 250 firefighters to control a spontaneous fire. The ban was rescinded after heavy rain fell in the state during the second half of the month on the 26th. In Mid-August about 75 percent of all the streams in the Middle Atlantic States were at or setting record streamflow lows for the date and included the Flat Brook (Sussex County), North Branch of the Rancocas Creek (Burlington County), Cooper River (Camden County) and the Great Egg Harbor River (Atlantic County). The upstream advancing salt front along the lower Delaware River stressed fish and wildlife. Some groundwater supplies were also contaminated with the saltier water and had to be treated. Low water levels led to a swimming ban in the Spruce Run Reservoir (Hunterdon County). The drought also led to over 2,400 bear sightings in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania as the animals expanded their search for food. There were only 800 sightings in New Jersey throughout 1998. Landscapers and garden shops continued to suffer as the restrictions halted plant and flower sales and the dormant grass did not need cuttings. |
| year | 1,999 |
Provenance
This slot's source list is not carried on the manifest row; open the dossier below.
Storage: spine