Drought in Florida takes its toll on Lake Okeechobee by Steph Ball
As parts of Florida continue to be hit by severe drought the water levels of Lake Okeechobee, one of the USA’s largest freshwater lakes has dropped to a record low. On Wednesday, the South Florida Water Management District recorded the lowest water level in the lake since records began in 1931. At just 2.72 meters, the water is 1.5m below the average for this time of year, having only received 40 inches of rain over the last 18 months.
Residents of south Florida rely heavily on Lake Okeechobee to supply the regions drinking and agricultural water but with many areas of the state receiving less than half their monthly rainfall since the start of the year the drought is taking its toll.
Some relief is expected later on Friday night as a storm currently developing in the Caribbean Sea looks set to track closer to land. Forecasters say that although the storm looks unlikely to develop into a tropical depression, by the time it hits land, it could deliver up to six inches of rain to southern Florida and begin to ease the drought.
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