The Florida Suncoast is now in the grip of what many longtime residents are calling the worst drought they can remember. From Sarasota and Bradenton to Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida, dangerously dry conditions have created a growing crisis involving water shortages, wildfire threats, stressed landscapes, and heightened concern heading into summer.
According to the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), the region is currently under a Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage Order, the most serious regional water restriction implemented in years.
Experts say the combination of months of below-normal rainfall, low humidity, persistent heat, and windy conditions has left much of Florida in severe to extreme drought conditions.
How Bad Is the Drought Right Now?
Much of Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough, Pinellas, and surrounding counties are now classified under “Extreme Drought” conditions by the U.S. Drought Monitor Florida map…