Despite several rainy days this summer, the Lehigh Valley is still under a drought watch.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said Thursday that the drought watch has been lifted for 47 counties across the state.
However, it remains in place for 20 counties, including Lehigh, Northampton, and most of southeast Pennsylvania. The decision comes after a meeting of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force.
Residents on a drought watch are asked to reduce their individual water use by 5-10%, or three to six gallons per day.
Lehigh County Authority, a major regional water supplier, continues to encourage its residential customers to conserve water as well.
The drought watch was first declared in June across the entire state after a lack of rainfall in the spring, and a winter that brought little snow in several areas. the watch was reupped in July.
The Lehigh Valley saw its second-driest May in recorded history this year, with only around a quarter-inch of precipitation falling for the month, according to published reports.
During the summer, the region did see periods of significant rainfall. In late June, between 2-4 inches of rain fell in the region during storms which also spawned an EF0 tornado in Northampton County.
More rain fell on July 15-16, which triggered severe and damaging flash flooding events.
(Original air-date: 8/25/23)
