The map of drought conditions across the country, which is released every Thursday, classified a number of New York counties as experiencing severe drought conditions as of Thursday, Sept. 1.
The website reported that drought persisted or expanded across much of the Northeast since the previous update, with increases in severe drought conditions in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
According to the update, the following areas are experiencing severe drought throughout the county:
- Suffolk County
- Nassau County
- Queens County
- Kings County
- Richmond County
- Putnam County
- Rockland County
Parts of Westchester, Dutchess, New York, and Orange counties are also experiencing severe drought.
According to the website, severe drought can cause the yield and fruit size of specialty crops to be impacted, poor air quality and warnings on outdoor burns, brittle trees, outdoor water restrictions, poor water quality and declining groundwater.
The United States Drought Monitor is run in partnership with the following organizations:
- The National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- The United States Department of Agriculture
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Click here to follow Daily Voice Peekskill and receive free news updates.