JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 You may hear us talk about being in a drought and think: How is that even possible with the amount of rain we get in the summertime?<\/p>\n
Since Jan. 1, 2025, Duval County has received 40.61 inches of rain. The average is 49.44 inches, which is -8.83 below normal. Compared to 2024\u2019s 61.65 inches, which was above average, we are well below the normal rainfall for the year of 53.4 inches.<\/p>\n
Duval County recorded the 21st wettest August in 131 years when over 2.50 inches above normal fell at Jacksonville International Airport (JIA). Since September 1, 2025, only 5.13 inches of rain have been recorded, with less than 1 inch of that in the last 30 days.<\/p>\n
Always good to keep in mind, rainfall amounts are officially recorded at JIA. <\/p>\n
Definitions of drought<\/p>\n
Drought is defined on drought.gov<\/a> as the absence of precipitation, rather than the presence of an event such as a hurricane, tornado, or fire. It\u2019s often described as a \u201ccreeping phenomenon\u201d because it slowly impacts many sectors of the economy and operates on many different timescales.<\/p>\n Merriam-Webster Dictionary: \u201cA period of dryness, especially when prolonged.\u201d<\/p>\n American Meteorological Society: \u201cA period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently long enough to cause a serious hydrological imbalance.\u201d<\/p>\n NOAA\u2019s National Weather Service: \u201cA deficiency of moisture that results in adverse impacts on people, animals, or vegetation over a sizeable area.\u201d<\/p>\n Not all droughts are created equally<\/p>\n Since Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia are in the Southeast portion of the United States, we are considered to be in a \u201cwater rich\u201d region. <\/a> This means, on average, we receive more precipitation. However, with increasing demands for water and fewer rain events, we are struggling to stay out of drought conditions.<\/p>\n