Drought

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) reminds small businesses and private nonprofits in Florida that they have until Dec. 8 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the drought occurring Feb. 11, 2025.The disaster declaration covers Broward, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties.

A burn ban went into effect Saturday morning for Sarasota County due to local drought conditions and an increased chance of fire hazards.Under Sarasota County’s burn ban ordinance (Sarasota County Code Section 58-2), burn bans automatically go into effect countywide and prohibit almost all open burning when the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) meets or exceeds 500.

Drought is the third-costliest natural disaster in the country, and goverment scientists just reported in an academic journal the natural disaster is poised to get worse

A Charlotte Harbor-based member of the national estuary program will host a summit later this month designed to expand the region’s ability to prepare for and recover from climate change

Recent rains lead to significant drought improvement

Enough rain fell during the end of May and beginning of June across the southern portion of the Florida peninsula to significantly lower the drought conditions — except for Southwest Florida including the Everglades, which remain in "extreme drought" according to the U.S. Drought Monitor

Those using water from the Island Water Association for irrigation on Sanibel and Captiva are being asked to adhere to approved local watering schedules.The IWA issued a caution that ongoing dry weather and increased turf and landscape replanting related to redevelopment activity have created extremely high irrigation demands.

Showers and thunderstorms swept across Lee and Collier counties, with four or more inches of rain. Other areas didn’t get enough rain to do much more than dampen the landscape. Southwest Florida’s drought is not yet over.

It’s a surge in dryness throughout the area. All of Southwest Florida is under serious drought conditions, while three counties have entered severe warning.

More than 100 wildfires were burning throughout Florida at the end of April, 14 million state residents are gripped by drought, and hurricane season's coming.