The N.Y.C. Region Is Dry and On Fire. Here’s What You Can Do to Help.
The New York Times
Now that New York City and surrounding counties are under a drought warning, officials are asking residents to save water and help prevent more wildfires.
It’s been a dry, sunny and warm autumn in New York City. But the “good” weather is bad news for the city’s water supply, which is dwindling as the region suffers through a drought.
In October, New York City had one of the longest dry streaks in its recent history. September was unusually dry, too: Central Park received only slightly more than 1.5 inches of rain. November isn’t looking much better.
The dry weather makes the New York region vulnerable to wildfires — and there have been plenty. Hundreds of fires have burned through tinder-dry leaves and underbrush in green spaces from Brooklyn to Upper Manhattan and New Jersey, casting a smoky haze over the city’s skyline and infusing the air with the acrid scent of burned wood.
Because of climate change, droughts are more likely to happen these days, and scientists say they are becoming more severe. On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams declared a drought warning — the second of three levels — for New York City for the first time in 22 years.
Mr. Adams and city and state officials are asking New Yorkers to both help save water and prevent wildfires. Here’s what to know.
There are no mandatory restrictions on water use yet, but that could change if the city declares a drought emergency, the next and highest level on its three-tiered classification system.
