The United States Drought Monitor recently announced a “code red” signifying an extreme drought in Greater Boston, an area encompassing over 3.2 million people, and the Baker-Polito administration is now encouraging Massachusetts residents to be aware of their water use.
Despite Hurricane Hermine moving up the East Coast last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor has recorded abnormal drought conditions for the past five months.
Malcolm Hill, a geochemistry professor at Northeastern University, explained why Hurricane Hermine did not put an end to the dry spell.
“There’s been a shift of moisture bringing air that’s seemingly skipped over Boston and Massachusetts as a whole, bringing on days of humidity and clouds but no rain,” Hill said.
While the drought could have damaging ecologic effects, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton explained in a Aug. 18 press release that Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito are working with residents of the state to combat the situation.
“Extended drought conditions can have far-reaching, long-term environmental impacts that affect us all, making it increasingly important that we work collaboratively and incorporate water conservation practices into our daily routines,” Beaton said.
The Baker-Polito administration also launched an emergency microloan fund for family farms and small businesses for up to $1 million, according to a Sept. 7 press release, to help combat the drought’s effects on farmers in the Commonwealth.
Baker urged residents to be mindful of their water usage in order to avoid waste, according to the press release.
“I am asking the public to administer best water conservation practices for the foreseeable future,” Baker said in the Aug. 18 release. “Droughts can have lasting effects, and it is incredibly important that we all work together to conserve water while these dry conditions persist.”
Public Safety Secretary Daniel Bennett advised the public to be careful when using outdoor grills, matches or any other open flame, as fires are another concern when it comes to drought, according to the release.
“We are … working with local fire chiefs to ensure mutual aid agreements and plans are in place so adequate supplies of water are available to support firefighting needs,” Bennett said in the release.
While the state braces itself for an exceptionally dry fall, for now there have been adequate resources available to keep Massachusetts hydrated, according to the release.
“We have not reached the point where demand for water exceeds supply,” Bennet said.
Several Boston residents said they did not know Boston is experiencing a drought, but have noticed cloudy weather with lack of moisture.
Ben Herman, 29, of Back Bay, said the drought has not affected him at all.
“I haven’t noticed anything particularly dry about Boston, which I guess is funny since we’re in an extreme drought,” Herman said.
Steven Sanders, 33, of South Boston, said while he expected Boston to get some rainfall from Hurricane Hermine, he dismissed it at unimportant to the Commonwealth.
“I remember not paying much attention to Hurricane Hermine earlier in the summer, since it was based in Florida,” he said.
Chelsea Reynolds, 25, of Dorchester, said she was aware of the lack of rain, but trusts that Massachusetts lawmakers are doing everything they can to remedy the situation.
“I had noticed the past few weeks were cloudy with absolutely no rainfall from that,” Reynolds said. “Extreme drought sounds pretty serious, but I’d like to think Baker knows what he’s doing to solve it.”
