Florida is experiencing an intensifying drought, one of the worst in a decade, putting a strain on cattle ranchers and growers and prompting state officials to warn of an early start to the wildfire season.
According to the most recent weekly report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, a collaborative effort of academic and government institutions, about two-thirds of Florida is experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions, primarily in the state’s central and southern regions. In comparison, approximately 21% of the state experienced such conditions a year ago.
The drought is affecting cattle producers like Matt Pearce, an eighth-generation rancher with about 2,100 cows in the state’s southern interior. According to him, the conditions have reduced forage for livestock, causing the animals’ weight to be lower than normal. This has forced him to spend more money on supplemental feed and extending the cattle’s feeding season.
“We’re just going through a rough patch,” Mr. Pearce explained. “We’ll keep praying for rain and hope for the best.”
Unlike parts of the American West, which have been plagued by long-term droughts in recent years, Florida and the Southeast are prone to shorter, more intense droughts that worsen quickly and then subside, according to David Simeral, a climatologist at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nev., and author of the most recent Drought Monitor report. According to him, the current drought in Florida began in October of last year and worsened over the course of an unusually dry and warm winter.
Only 1.9 inches of rain fell in Orlando in the first three months of the year, compared to 7.5 inches on average, according to Will Ulrich, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Melbourne office. According to records dating back to 1892, this was the third-driest start to the year in the city.
According to Brad Pugh, a meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, a key factor driving the drought is a La Nia weather cycle, which generates warmer and drier conditions in the South during the winter. According to NOAA, that cycle has recently ended.
According to Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson at a news conference, the drought has contributed to worsening wildfire conditions in Florida and forecasts of above-normal potential for blazes during the peak wildfire season from April to June. Since January, more than 1,000 wildfires have burned over 35,000 acres in Florida.
“Central and South Florida are extremely dry,” Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan said at a press conference. “Lightning season is quickly approaching.”
Officials are especially concerned about a region in southwestern Florida where Hurricane Ian hit last year, leaving heaps of forest debris on the ground that could fuel wildfires. Much of that area is now experiencing some of the state’s most severe drought conditions.
According to the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the number of reports filed by Florida residents and businesses affected by drought conditions increased significantly in March. They describe effects such as dried-up livestock watering holes, wilting grass, and poor crop conditions.
Terri Bates, whose family business in Lake Placid grows caladiums (South American flowering plants), said the drought was the primary reason for the operation’s 65% loss in the recently concluded season. Her father, who is 86 years old, said it was the worst crop he had ever seen.
Ms. Bates stated that the company, Bates Sons & Daughters, spent $80,000 to redo its irrigation system in preparation for the upcoming season. And she is hoping that the rainy season, which usually begins in mid-May, will bring relief this summer.
“You can irrigate as much as you want, but it’s not the same as rain,” Ms. Bates explained.