Water restrictions issued in Florida as extreme drought worsens
Burn bans and water usage restrictions are in place as Florida’s drought situation grows worse
A significant lack of rainfall across the Sunshine State in recent months has pushed more than 90 per cent of Florida into a severe drought or worse.
This dearth of precipitation forced officials to issue burn bans for much of the state, as well as water use restrictions for some localities.
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Virtually every bit of Florida found itself parched in the Mar. 24 update of the United States Drought Monitor.
Severe drought or worse covers 90.71 per cent of the state, and nearly 10 per cent of Florida is now in an exceptional drought, which is the worst category on the agency’s scale.
This ongoing drought is part of a larger dry pattern that’s covered the southern U.S. since late last year.
Rainfall deficits continued racking up to end the month of March.
Tallahassee has fallen more than 400 mm behind since the drought began in earnest last September. Rainfall totals are also running hundreds of millimetres behind in both Tampa and Jacksonville.
A tiny corner of southeastern Florida, which includes Miami, has seen enough rain to just barely avoid the damaging drought unfolding across the rest of the state.
Localized restrictions continue to grow as the drought persists and worsens.
Twenty-five counties from the Panhandle to the Everglades are under open burn bans as a result of the drought-induced wildfire risk. This includes three counties where yard debris burning is never allowed, covering Duvall (Jacksonville), Orange (Orlando), and Pinellas (Tampa).
Fire is a major concern when conditions are this dry. The Florida Forest Service has documented 1,431 wildfires since the beginning of the year, which are responsible for burning nearly 35,000 hectares of land.
Municipal water restrictions are beginning to pop up in order to stave off potential water shortages.
A large portion of southwestern Florida is now under a “Modified Phase III 'Extreme' Water Shortage,” which clamps down on activities such as lawn watering, car washing, decorative fountains, and complimentary water served by restaurants.
Water conservation is a significant topic of debate across Florida. The state’s exploding population is putting enormous pressure on the region’s freshwater resources even without the ongoing drought.
Florida gained more than 4.6 million residents between 2010 and 2025, making it one of the fastest-growing regions of the U.S.