Drought Information Statement for South Florida 04 30 2026 Issued By: NWS Miami-South Florida Contact Information: nws.miami@noaa.gov Drought Conditions Remain Present Across The Region Please see all available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Visit our local interactive drought page at https://nws-miami-drought-page-noaa.hub.arcgis.com/ Webmaster email or public phone line likely preferred, but individuals may choose to include their contact information directly. 1 U.S. Drought Monitor Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for South Florida U.S. Drought Monitor valid 7AM EDT April 30th 2026. Drought conditions remain mainly unchanged this week. Drought intensity and Extent D0 (Abnormally Dry): Coastal & Metro Broward, Coastal Miami-Dade & SE Coastal Palm Beach. D1 (Moderate Drought): Metro Miami-Dade, Central Metro Palm Beach. D2 (Severe Drought): Northern Metro Palm Beach. D3 (Extreme Drought): Rest of South Florida. Geography Availability: United States WFO: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/png/current/current_wfoabq_text.png Where it says “wfoabq” change the last 3 letters to the desired CWA in terms of “wfoxxx” (excluding SJU, PPG, or GUM, only regional data available) State: Replace where it says “wfoabq” change to the state’s abbreviation Regional: Replace where it says “wfoabq” change to either of the following… Caribbean → current_caribbean_text Pacific Islands→current_usapi_text Ex; southeast → current_southeast_text Ex; midwest → current_midwest_text Ex; high plains → current_high_planes_text Ex; south → current_south_text pdf National (including HI, AK, and PR): https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/png/20220823/20220823_usdm.png USAPI and Virgin Islands: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/png/20220823/20220823_usdm_pg2.png Recent Change in Drought Intensity Link to the latest 4-week change map for South Florida No major changes were made to drought conditions across South Florida over the past week. One Week Drought Monitor Class Change One Week Improvement: A few coastal portions of South Florida. Feel free to use other timescales if they tell a better story, or hide this slide if there’s no notable changes in your region. 4 weeks is a good default if you’re producing this product ~once per month as required by the directive. 1-Week Monitor Class Change (replace CHS with your WFO ID): https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/chng/png/current/current_wfoCHS_chng_1W.png Comparison of current drought monitor with drought monitor from 4 weeks ago for a desired WFO station: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/chng/png/current/current_wfoCHS_chng_4W.png Changing date: Replace where it says “current” twice with the date in terms of “YYYYMMDD” Ex; July 5th, 2022 → 20220705 30 Day Precipitation & Percent of Normal (Since 3/31/26) Rainfall has been normal to above normal over the area in most places. If longer-term drought is dominating in your region, you can use longer-timescale imagery to support that message. All data can be found at https://hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?maps=ACISClimateMaps If you prefer a higher resolution precip source such as AHPS (https://water.weather.gov/precip/), that’s also okay but will have to be added manually each time. If little to no imagery is available for your area (i.e. USAPI) you may consider a data table. Some USAPI precipitation imagery available here:https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/drought/202303#regional-usapi and here: https://niwa.co.nz/climate/island-climate-update Pacific Island Climate Update for ENSO: Monthly Reports, find the link to the latest PDF on this site: https://niwa.co.nz/climate/island-climate-update and consider linking to it here if it’s not too out of date MSWEP: https://www.gloh2o.org/mswep/ may be another option. Other options: Precipitation Station Data from USGS: Stations in each State: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/al/nwis/current/?type=precip&group_key=NONE To change state, alter link where it says “/al/” and change to desired state’s abbreviation. Homepage: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis Precipitation Reports for Basins from WCC Availability: SNOTEL and COOP stations for each state in the west including Alaska. State: https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/support/water/SummaryReports/AZ/BPrecip_8_2022.pdf Where it says “AZ” change to desired state abbreviation to other states such as AK, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, and WY. Replace where it says “Precip_8_2022” and change the “8” to the desired month of year and “2022” to the year wanted. Homepage: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/wcc/home/snowClimateMonitoring/snowpack/basinDataReports/ 90 Day Observed Precipitation (Since 12/12/2025) If longer-term drought is dominating in your region, you can use longer-timescale imagery to support that message. All data can be found at https://hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?maps=ACISClimateMaps If you prefer a higher resolution precip source such as AHPS (https://water.weather.gov/precip/), that’s also okay but will have to be added manually each time. If little to no imagery is available for your area (i.e. USAPI) you may consider a data table. Some USAPI precipitation imagery available here:https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/drought/202303#regional-usapi and here: https://niwa.co.nz/climate/island-climate-update Pacific Island Climate Update for ENSO: Monthly Reports, find the link to the latest PDF on this site: https://niwa.co.nz/climate/island-climate-update and consider linking to it here if it’s not too out of date MSWEP: https://www.gloh2o.org/mswep/ may be another option. Other options: Precipitation Station Data from USGS: Stations in each State: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/al/nwis/current/?type=precip&group_key=NONE To change state, alter link where it says “/al/” and change to desired state’s abbreviation. Homepage: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis Precipitation Reports for Basins from WCC Availability: SNOTEL and COOP stations for each state in the west including Alaska. State: https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/support/water/SummaryReports/AZ/BPrecip_8_2022.pdf Where it says “AZ” change to desired state abbreviation to other states such as AK, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, and WY. Replace where it says “Precip_8_2022” and change the “8” to the desired month of year and “2022” to the year wanted. Homepage: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/wcc/home/snowClimateMonitoring/snowpack/basinDataReports/ Rainfall Totals, Percent of Normal and Departures (Since 01/30/2026) If longer-term drought is dominating in your region, you can use longer-timescale imagery to support that message. All data can be found at https://hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?maps=ACISClimateMaps If you prefer a higher resolution precip source such as AHPS (https://water.weather.gov/precip/), that’s also okay but will have to be added manually each time. If little to no imagery is available for your area (i.e. USAPI) you may consider a data table. Some USAPI precipitation imagery available here:https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/drought/202303#regional-usapi and here: https://niwa.co.nz/climate/island-climate-update Pacific Island Climate Update for ENSO: Monthly Reports, find the link to the latest PDF on this site: https://niwa.co.nz/climate/island-climate-update and consider linking to it here if it’s not too out of date MSWEP: https://www.gloh2o.org/mswep/ may be another option. Other options: Precipitation Station Data from USGS: Stations in each State: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/al/nwis/current/?type=precip&group_key=NONE To change state, alter link where it says “/al/” and change to desired state’s abbreviation. Homepage: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis Precipitation Reports for Basins from WCC Availability: SNOTEL and COOP stations for each state in the west including Alaska. State: https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/support/water/SummaryReports/AZ/BPrecip_8_2022.pdf Where it says “AZ” change to desired state abbreviation to other states such as AK, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, and WY. Replace where it says “Precip_8_2022” and change the “8” to the desired month of year and “2022” to the year wanted. Homepage: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/wcc/home/snowClimateMonitoring/snowpack/basinDataReports/ 180 Day Precipitation & Percent of Normal (Since 10/25/25) Rainfall observed with the departure and percent of normal since November 1st, 2025 The following table gives the rainfall from November 1, 2025 to April 22th, 2026: Observed Dep fm Percent Airports: Rainfall Normal of Normal Palm Beach Intl 16.37 -2.86 85% Naples Municipal 6.74 -2.74 71% Ft Lauderdale-Hollywood Intl 15.73 -0.54 97% Miami Intl 11.12 -3.66 75% Secondary Observation Sites Moore Haven (Glades) 7.38 -4.26 63% Opa Locka (Miami-Dade) 8.88 -5.19 63% Homestead (Miami-Dade) 10.40 -1.76 86% Hialeah (Miami-Dade) 13.36 -3.27 80% Palm Beach Gardens (Palm Beach) 10.40 -9.25 53% North Miami Beach (Miami-Dade) 10.23 -7.18 59% Devils Garden (Hendry) 6.93 -5.16 57% Image Captions: Left - Precipitation Amount for [area] Right - Percent of Normal Precipitation for [area] Data CourtesyNational Water Prediction Service. Data over the past 180 days ending April 22th, 2026 If longer-term drought is dominating in your region, you can use longer-timescale imagery to support that message. All data can be found at https://hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?maps=ACISClimateMaps If you prefer a higher resolution precip source such as AHPS (https://water.weather.gov/precip/), that’s also okay but will have to be added manually each time. If little to no imagery is available for your area (i.e. USAPI) you may consider a data table. Some USAPI precipitation imagery available here:https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/drought/202303#regional-usapi and here: https://niwa.co.nz/climate/island-climate-update Pacific Island Climate Update for ENSO: Monthly Reports, find the link to the latest PDF on this site: https://niwa.co.nz/climate/island-climate-update and consider linking to it here if it’s not too out of date MSWEP: https://www.gloh2o.org/mswep/ may be another option. Other options: Precipitation Station Data from USGS: Stations in each State: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/al/nwis/current/?type=precip&group_key=NONE To change state, alter link where it says “/al/” and change to desired state’s abbreviation. Homepage: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis Precipitation Reports for Basins from WCC Availability: SNOTEL and COOP stations for each state in the west including Alaska. State: https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/support/water/SummaryReports/AZ/BPrecip_8_2022.pdf Where it says “AZ” change to desired state abbreviation to other states such as AK, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, and WY. Replace where it says “Precip_8_2022” and change the “8” to the desired month of year and “2022” to the year wanted. Homepage: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/wcc/home/snowClimateMonitoring/snowpack/basinDataReports/ 30-Day Precipitation & Percent Normal The majority of South Florida has received less than 25-50% of normal precipitation over the last 30 days. Image Captions: Left - Precipitation Amount for [area] Right - Percent of Normal Precipitation for [area] If longer-term drought is dominating in your region, you can use longer-timescale imagery to support that message. All data can be found at https://hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?maps=ACISClimateMaps If you prefer a higher resolution precip source such as AHPS (https://water.weather.gov/precip/), that’s also okay but will have to be added manually each time. If little to no imagery is available for your area (i.e. USAPI) you may consider a data table. Some USAPI precipitation imagery available here:https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/drought/202303#regional-usapi and here: https://niwa.co.nz/climate/island-climate-update Pacific Island Climate Update for ENSO: Monthly Reports, find the link to the latest PDF on this site: https://niwa.co.nz/climate/island-climate-update and consider linking to it here if it’s not too out of date MSWEP: https://www.gloh2o.org/mswep/ may be another option. Other options: Precipitation Station Data from USGS: Stations in each State: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/al/nwis/current/?type=precip&group_key=NONE To change state, alter link where it says “/al/” and change to desired state’s abbreviation. Homepage: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis Precipitation Reports for Basins from WCC Availability: SNOTEL and COOP stations for each state in the west including Alaska. State: https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/support/water/SummaryReports/AZ/BPrecip_8_2022.pdf Where it says “AZ” change to desired state abbreviation to other states such as AK, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, and WY. Replace where it says “Precip_8_2022” and change the “8” to the desired month of year and “2022” to the year wanted. Homepage: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/wcc/home/snowClimateMonitoring/snowpack/basinDataReports/ Hydrologic Impacts Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter Hydrologic Impacts (4/30/26) Lake Okeechobee water level is currently at 11.69 feet which is –1.96 feet below normal of 13.65 feet. The underground level for Water Conservation Area 1 in Interior Palm Beach County is at 16.32 feet. Compared to the normal value of 15.89 feet, this is +0.43 feet above normal for this time of year. The underground level for Water Conservation Area 2 in Interior Broward County is at 12.03 feet. Compared to the normal value of 11.00 feet, this is +1.03 feet above normal for this time of year. The underground level for Water Conservation Area 3 in Interior Miami-Dade County is at 8.05 feet. Compared to the normal value of 9.72 feet, this is -1.67 feet below normal for this time of year. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) continues a Water Shortage Warning for Collier county amid continuing dry conditions and increasing water supply concerns. Hydrologic Impacts on Lake Okeechobee Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter Hydrologic Impacts Locks that are closed due to low lake Okeechobee water levels include: S-135 Boat Lock J&S Fish Camp in Martin County G-36 Boat Lock on Hendry Creek in Okeechobee County S-127 Boat Lock at Buckheat Ridge in Glades County S-131 Boat Lock in Lakeport in Glades County S-193 Boat Locak at Taylor Creek in Okeechobee Conty will remain open only on Saturdays and Sundays durning day hours. If the lake level reaches 11 FT NGVD or 9.70 FT NAVD, then the lock will also be closed. Courtesy of SFWMD Fire Hazard Impacts Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) Fire Hazard Impacts Dry conditions expected to continue over South Florida. KBDI values range from 400-549 across S Florida. Fire Danger Matrix Fire Danger Risk Fire Danger Matrix A high fire (level 3 of 5) danger risk across Hendry and Glades county. A moderate fire (level 2 of 5) danger risk across most of South Florida as of 4/30/2026. Burn Bans Link: County Burn Bans Current Burn Bans Collier and Hendry Counties. Issued by local county officials. Water Shortage Warnings Link: South Florida Water Management District Water Shortage Page Water Shortage Warnings Collier County Issued by the South Florida Water Management District. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Summarize conditions/impacts here Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map valid MM DD YYYY Soil moisture increased slightly this week. It is now between 30-70% of normal levels. Soil Moisture Image Captions: CPC Calculated Soil Moisture Ranking Percentile valid April 22th, 2026 Fire Hazard Impacts Currently Glades, Hendry, Collier, and Palm Beach Counties are in a burn ban. South Florida has an above normal chance of wildfires for the rest of February. Latest FL Burn Ban map available here. Image Caption: https://www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/predictive/outlooks/month1_outlook.png for February 2026 Link to Wildfire Potential Outlooks from the National Interagency Coordination Center. Latest FL burnmap at https://ffsfm.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/1f6572c92f8d41ec860f461ea433819b Precipitation Outlook Mainly dry conditions are expected to continue through the next few days. A front arrives on Sunday which could bring scattered to widespread showers and storms Sunday and Monday. The Climate Prediction Center depicts a leaning above (40-50% chance) probability for precipitation for our area over the next 6-10 days. {{PRECIP_OUTLOOK}} Rapid Onset Drought Outlook Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook. Summarize conditions and impacts here Image Caption: Days 8 to 14 U.S. Hazards Outlook Valid Month DD to DD. The Climate Prediction Center depicts an equal chance of seeing below or above normal rainfall for the month of May. Image Captions: Left - Climate Prediction Center Monthly Temperature Outlook. Right - Climate Prediction Center Monthly Precipitation Outlook. Valid MM YYYY Image Captions: Left - Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Temperature Outlook. Right - Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Precipitation Outlook. Valid MM to MM YYYY Monthly Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage The Climate Prediction Center depicts a 40-50% chance (“leaning above normal”) of higher than normal temperatures. Image Captions: Left - Climate Prediction Center Monthly Temperature Outlook. Right - Climate Prediction Center Monthly Precipitation Outlook. Valid MM YYYY Image Captions: Left - Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Temperature Outlook. Right - Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Precipitation Outlook. Valid MM to MM YYYY Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Drought is expected to persist through July of 2026 over interior and west coast metro areas, but should start to improve once the rainy season gets started in May. Links to the latest: Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook {{OUTLOOK_DROUGHT_SEASONAL}}