The recent heatwave has dominated headlines, but for Islanders ranging from farmers to firefighters, the lack of rain is the larger concern. Water security on Island has yet to be threatened by ongoing drought conditions, but safety officials are on full alert and other industries have begun to feel the heat.
A statewide drought that has affected Martha’s Vineyard since last summer was declared at an end this month by the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force.
In one of the hottest, driest summers in recent memory, critical drought conditions were declared late Thursday for all seven regions in the state, including Martha’s Vineyard.
Following three straight months of little rain, Martha’s Vineyard remains under moderate to severe drought conditions along with most of the rest of the commonwealth.
Following months of below average rainfall, a drought advisory is now in effect for the Cape and Islands, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday. Dry ponds and low streams are evident all around the Island, even though October has seen good amounts of rain.
A month ago, Island farmers were complaining that it was dry. Now,
halfway through August, it is even drier - so much so that
Vineyarders are looking for new superlatives to describe the arid
conditions.
The Cape and Islands led the state in rainfall earlier in the year.
But on Wednesday, the state announced that because of lack of rainfall
the region had moved from a drought advisory to a drought watch.
Rainstorms that crossed the Island last month were exactly what the
Vineyard needed. After a September that was the wettest month of the
year so far, lawns are once again lush and plants are looking healthy.
According to rainfall data collected at the National Weather Service
cooperative station in Edgartown, the total rainfall for the past month
was 6.15 inches. The Vineyard hadn't seen that much rainfall since
the 6.11 inches that fell in August of last year.
There is no drought on Martha's Vineyard. While dry conditions
may continue in other parts of the Northeast, the Vineyard has had
healthy rainfall thus far this year.
But despite spring rains, Vineyard ground water levels are at or
near their 25-year low. This has raised concerns that homes in outlying
areas, those with wells near the coast, may be vulnerable to saltwater
intrusion.
