NEW YORK (PIX11) --- While New York City is still under a drought watch, parts of the state are experiencing significantly dry weather, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The five boroughs, Long Island, Westecher County, and Orange and Dutchess counties are under a moderate watch after the second-dryest October in city history, while northern and western parts of New York are abnormally dry, according to the agency.
There are some parts of New York unaffected by the drought.
The state has not entered the drought emergency stage yet, but officials said the next few months are expected to be dry.
The state needs about six inches of rainfall to recover from the unusually low water levels in the upstate reservoirs, which are below the 75% mandatory level.
“We need a lot of rain not just a little,” Commissioner of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection Rohit T. Aggarwala said Monday.
New Yorkers, who use one billion gallons of water a day, can save water by fixing leaky faucets, taking shorter showers, only running a dishwasher when it’s full, not flushing toilets unnecessarily, and not washing cars in the streets, officials said. The biggest source of water waste is a leaky toilet.
Cutting daily water use by just 5% will buy the city another day of water, officials said. If the drought escalates, the city can issue a warning or emergency.
The dry weather has caused some brush fires in the New York City area and New Jersey.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service battled a massive fire, known as the Shotgun Wildfire, in Ocean County near Six Flags Great Adventure. The flames, which have burned across 175 acres, were only 20% contained as of Thursday morning.
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