NYC issues first drought warning in over 20 years after record rainless streak
New York City declared a drought warning on Monday, its first in 22 years, as the Northeast deals with severe dry conditions and brush fires during a historically dry autumn.
New York City declared a drought warning on Monday, its first in 22 years, as the Northeast deals with severe dry conditions and brush fires during a historically dry autumn.
Mayor Eric Adams and the city’s Department of Environmental Protection elevated a drought watch issued on Nov. 2, citing the city's longest rainless streak in recorded history.
The last drought warning in New York City was issued in 2002.
“It’s hard to believe that we’d be talking about brush fires and droughts in New York City,” Adams said in a news conference, attributing the conditions to climate change. “Our reservoirs are nowhere near where they should be, and our city and watershed continues to experience significant precipitation shortages.”
Under the watch, the mayor ordered city agencies to implement protocols to conserve water which includes reducing fleet washing of trains and buses, suspending street flushing activities, and identifying leaks and conducting repairs at city facilities. New Yorkers are asked to voluntarily conserve water by taking shorter showers and fixing leaky faucets.
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