Drought in Maryland, November 1 to 30, 1998

This was the fifth month in a row that drought conditions were seen across Central and Northern Maryland. Persistent high pressure over the Southeast U.S. forced most rain producing low pressure systems to steer north of the region. Only 1.13 inches of rain fell at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) in Anne Arundel County during the month of November, 2.07 inches below normal. Only one other year on record (1930) had come close to the lack of rainfall the Baltimore area saw from July 1st to November 30th. The 5 month rainfall total at BWI Airport was only 5.79 inches, compared to the normal of over 17 inches. The Maryland Science Center in Baltimore reported a monthly total of 1.11 inches. Other monthly rainfall totals from affected counties included 0.6 inches in Washington, 0.7 in Howard, 0.9 in Frederick, 1.0 in Charles, 1.1 in Carroll and Anne Arundel, and 1.2 in Montgomery and Prince Georges. Water levels and reserves were greatly affected by the persistent drought. In Washington County, the Pretty Boy Reservoir level dropped 12% during the month. The level of two reservoirs along the Patuxent River were 10 to 12 feet below normal during the month. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the flow of the Potomac River through Little Falls, MD (near Washington D.C.) was 39% of median flow, and several upstream tributaries were at record low levels. The river stage at Williamsport, MD was at 1.4 feet for much of the month, low enough to see a Native American v-shaped fish wier from the I-81 bridge. In Allegany County, the Georges Creek which feeds into the Potomac River dried up, causing 2000 households and businesses to run out of water. County officials were forced to construct an emergency plastic pipeline from Frostburg to the towns of Lonaconing, Midland, and Barton, and asked the governor declare a local water emergency. The communities of Carlos and Shaft had to be connected to the Frostburg water supply by a 1.4 mile emergency chain of fire hoses. The U.S. Geological Survey also reported flow of freshwater into the Chesapeake Bay was only 24% of the median for November. The agricultural community continued to be hard hit by the persistent drought. By November 20th, 80% of topsoil moisture across the state was rated short or very short. The persistent drought contributed $40 million in damage to the fall harvest. The lack of precipitation continued to have a negative impact on winter crops such as wheat, barley, and rye. Winter grain crops were only half as tall as they should have been at the end of November. Some farmers opted to not plant winter crops this year due to the lack of moisture. The drought also contributed to a six fold increase in the amount of brush fires seen across Maryland this November. Officials reported 173 fires, burning a total of 490 acres during the month. From the beginning of August to the end of November, the Forest Service recorded 303 fires statewide. The three largest fires, each between 20 and 30 acres in size, were reported near Taneytown in Carroll County, the second west of Hancock in Washington County, and the third in Harwood in Anne Arundel County. The fire risk in Maryland during the month averaged 700 on a scale of 0 to 800, compared to the normal of 450. The governor declared a statewide ban on outdoor burning on November 26th, hoping to significantly reduce the number of fires being accidentally set by campers and by field and leaf burning.