Three days of scattered, sometimes heavy, rain splashed across northeast Florida and southeast Georgia, but officials say the recent downpours barely scratched the surface of a months-long rainfall deficit. On May 13, the St. Johns River Water Management District escalated parts of its service area to a Phase III Extreme Water Shortage, triggering stricter limits on outdoor watering and some commercial uses. District and state agencies warn that low groundwater and record-low river and spring flows mean this brief wet spell will not quickly restore the region’s water supplies.
Rainfall by the numbers
The National Weather Service in Jacksonville reported three-day totals that bounced all over the map, according to NWS Jacksonville. San Pablo picked up 4.30 inches, some Jacksonville sites logged more than 2 inches, and many inland communities landed in the 1 to 2 inch range. Helpful for lawns and puddles, sure, but forecasters say those amounts were still not enough to erase long-term deficits in rivers, springs and groundwater.
District moves to Phase III
Citing below-normal rainfall, groundwater readings well below typical levels and stressed river flows, the St. Johns River Water Management District moved select counties to a Phase III Extreme Water Shortage on May 13. In a statement to News4JAX, Clay Coarsey, the district’s director of water supply planning and assessment, said, “The move to Phase III reflects the severity of current drought conditions and the need for immediate action to reduce water demand.”
What Phase III covers
Under Phase III restrictions, landscape irrigation is limited to one day per week and is prohibited between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Irrigation for new plantings and sod is tightened. Aesthetic uses and activities such as street and pressure washing are banned. Commercial, industrial and institutional users must suspend certain non-essential water uses, according to the St. Johns River Water Management District. The district also sets tighter limits for golf course fairways and caps irrigation volume and duration on scheduled days.
Why a few inches did not erase the drought
Longer-term indicators explain why a short burst of rain is not enough. The U.S. Drought Monitor and regional outlooks still classify much of northeast Florida and adjacent Georgia as in Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) drought, and state situation reports note year-to-date deficits of roughly 20 inches in some locations, according to Drought.gov and state briefings. The district is urging residents to “reset your irrigation timer so that irrigation only occurs one day per week” as it tries to protect river flows and groundwater while the region waits on sustained heavy rains. For full details, see the St. Johns River Water Management District.
What residents should do now
For now, city and utility customers are being asked to double-check irrigation timers, inspect systems for leaks, skip aesthetic or other non-essential outdoor washing and lean on hand-watering or micro-irrigation when possible. For updates on local watering schedules and the broader drought outlook, residents should continue to monitor the U.S. Drought Monitor and information from their local utility.
