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Hernando Today

Severe Drought Expected To Get Worse

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: March 20, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Not since 1907 has the eastern half of the county been under such severe drought conditions.

Judging from the latest weather outlook, it is about to get worse for Hernando County.

A waning La Nina in the Pacific Ocean - along with the typical high-pressure systems that loom over Florida throughout the spring - will contribute to an intensifying dry season for the Suncoast, said Paul Close, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Ruskin.

"The storm tracks usually shift north of us," Close said of the typical rainfall that occurs in the Southeast during the spring. "We might get a little bit of a cold front if we're lucky ... but we usually get a ridge of high pressure that keeps the rain away."

From Nov. 1 through Feb. 28, the area from Brooksville to the Chinsegut Nature Center has received only 3.53 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.

That is the second-lowest rainfall recorded during a four-month span since records were kept in 1892.

Bushnell has had it worse. Only 2.63 inches of rain fell during the same four months, Close said.

The thunderstorm season usually starts by the second week of June, so the dry weather will continue for up to 13 more weeks. The risk of wildfires will remain high until then, Close warned.

"We had a lot of cold fronts during the winter, but only a couple brought some decent rains," he said. "April and May are usually the driest months of the year."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting major flooding in the Midwest.

While the outlook remains bleak for Florida, drought conditions are improving in Southern California, Texas and in other parts of the Southeast, according to NOAA.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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