May brought below-average rainfall districtwide

Orange County gets over 3 inches of rain in May

From the St. Johns River Water Management District

Below-average rainfall persisted throughout the St. Johns River Water Management District throughout May, with the greatest deficit in the northern counties.

• Nassau and Duval counties received less than 2 inches of rain.
• The southern counties of the District, including Osceola, Lake, Volusia, Okeechobee, Seminole and Orange counties, were closer to average, ranging from 3 to 3.5 inches of rain.
• Brevard County was the only county that received slightly above-average rainfall, with 3.9 inches.

Districtwide, the 12-month rainfall total is now 3.5 inches below the long-term average of 51 inches. The southern coastal region continues to have the lowest 12-month totals, with Indian River County receiving only 37 inches of rain over the last 12 months. Central counties have the highest 12-month rainfall totals, with Marion receiving 56 inches.

The below-average rainfall during May is noteworthy because temperatures across the state were well above normal. This low rainfall had a big impact on surface water levels. For example, on June 1, surface water flow conditions were in the low range throughout much of the district, with very low conditions observed at the St. Johns River near Melbourne.

For additional hydrologic data or to learn more about the district’s data collection program, visit www.sjrwmd.com/data.

About the St. Johns River Water Management District

St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the district and the state of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The district encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Maitland, Jacksonville, and Palm Bay.