DENVER (AP) — It hasn’t been a typical fall for the northeastern United States.
Fires have burned in parks and forests around New York City. Towns and cities in a stretch from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to south of Philadelphia had their driest three months on record, according to the Applied Climate Information System. Some reservoirs in the region are near historic lows.
Major changes need to happen to avoid critical shortages of water in the future, even if that future isn’t immediate. As the climate warms, droughts will continue to intensify and communities should use this one as motivation to put in place long-term solutions, experts say.
“This is the canary in the coal mine for the future,” said Tim Eustance, executive director of the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission. “People should stop watering their lawns yesterday.”
Eustance wants New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to issue a drought emergency to increase people’s sense of urgency.
Here are some ways to stretch water experts said could become necessary in the Northeast.