Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Saturday declared a Stage 2 drought advisory for the entire state, following months of dry weather and elevated fire danger.
“The lack of rain over the past two months has caused exceptionally dry conditions across Connecticut, resulting in numerous wildfires and reduced groundwater levels and streamflows,” the governor said in a statement. “We want to raise awareness that as this lack of rain continues, there is a possibility that this emerging drought event could intensify, which is why we want to encourage everyone right now to be mindful of their water consumption and take some simple, sensible steps to stretch water supplies.”
Stage 2, an “emerging drought event” or “incipient drought,” is the second of five escalating levels of urgency under the state’s drought preparedness plan.
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“Some action items that residents and businesses in Connecticut are encouraged to voluntarily take to aid in minimizing future drought impact include: shutting down automatic outdoor irrigation; minimizing overall water use by fixing leaky plumbing and fixtures; and following any conservation requests issued by local water suppliers and municipalities,” the governor’s office said in a news release.
The governor’s office said the limited rainfall late Sunday into early Monday across much of the state did not have an impact on the drought advisory.
The announcement comes after “the driest two-month period ever recorded since records began in 1905,” according to Martin Heft, chairman of the Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup, which recommended the declaration to the governor.
“We must begin early steps now to mitigate the potential for harm should the drought be prolonged,” Heft said.
The lengthy dry spell has made for significant fire danger in Connecticut, most notably a large brush fire on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin responsible for burning more than 100 acres and killing a responding firefighter.
In October, Lamont declared a state of emergency due to extreme fire danger amid the lack of rainfall. A contemporaneous emergency burn ban on public lands issued by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection remains in effect.
As of Monday morning, DEEP was monitoring 82 fires statewide, 12 of which “were either new or popped up in the last few days,” the agency said. Forest fire danger was downgraded from “extreme” to “very high” Monday.
This story was first published Nov. 11, 2024 by Connecticut Public.