Drought Returns to East End

The Hamptons, North Fork and all of Long Island have been under a moderate drought for the past three weeks, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The region typically sees about 5 inches of rain between June 1 and July 11, but precipitation has been about half that so far at the National Weather Service’s Long Island MacArthur Airport observation site.

“It’s been a relatively dry summer to date,” said Dominic Ramunni, an Upton based NWS meteorologist who added that rain forecast for the coming week “could help to alleviate some of the drought conditions.”

The drought comes after Suffolk County Water Authority officials grew frustrated with East End residents who refused requests to conserve water during a drought that strained the public drinking water system last summer.

The Drought Monitor’s most recent data is as of July 6 and does not include the most recent rainfall.