April 8, 2004
By Pamela Smith Hayford, phayford@news-press.com

Southwest Florida hasn’t tasted the sweetness of even an inch of rain since Feb. 25.

That’s 43 days with nothing more than .36 inch and 22 days with no measurable rain at all.

Call it parched, dry as a biscuit or juiceless. With every day that passes, the fire risk rises and lawns without sprinklers wither in the sandy Southwest Florida soil.

Weather forecasters are calling for rain over the next week — but not much.

“If we do get rain,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Richard Rude, “I would probably say less than a quarter inch per day.”

And only a 20 percent chance at that, he said.

Forestry forecasters said it will likely only be a quarter inch total.

“Just a little bit to give us a brief breath,” said Gerry LaCavera, spokesman for the Florida Division of Forestry.

Southwest Florida could still experience a fire like two that consumed some 4,000 acres and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people near Miami last weekend.

“Especially with the wind we’ve been seeing in the past week,” LaCavera said. “Some of the winds have been in excess of 20 mph.”

In the past five days, Lee County’s average on the Keetch-Byram drought index rose 25 points to 452 on a scale of 0 to 800, the latter being the driest.

“We’ve got places in Collier County that are close to 700,” LaCavera said.

While rangers battle wildfires, water managers try to keep up with a rising demand and declining aquifer levels.

Forestry forecasters said it will likely only be a quarter inch total.

“Just a little bit to give us a brief breath,” said Gerry LaCavera, spokesman for the Florida Division of Forestry.

Southwest Florida could still experience a fire like two that consumed some 4,000 acres and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people near Miami last weekend.

“Especially with the wind we’ve been seeing in the past week,” LaCavera said. “Some of the winds have been in excess of 20 mph.”

In the past five days, Lee County’s average on the Keetch-Byram drought index rose 25 points to 452 on a scale of 0 to 800, the latter being the driest.

“We’ve got places in Collier County that are close to 700,” LaCavera said.

While rangers battle wildfires, water managers try to keep up with a rising demand and declining aquifer levels.

Lee County Utilities recently bought water from Cape Coral in case demand exceeds supply.

“We’re having a lot of people using the potable water for irrigating, plus the growth and this is a heavy tourist season again,” said Patricia DiPiero, spokeswoman for the utility.

Well users are in the same boat. Many are finding their well levels are too low to pump.

Aquifers are low, but average for April, said Kurt Harclerode, spokesman for the South Florida Water Management District.

The district’s water conservation rule, Harclerode said, “is something we need to abide by year-round, but particularly this time of year when we have the high demand.”

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