Florida drought persists despite rainfall

MIAMI, March 5 (UPI) -- Steady rainfall this month in South Florida has not yet been enough to end the region's two-year precipitation shortage, experts say.

"The thing is, no one month makes up for a two-year rainfall deficit. Even though we've had that rain, it's still much drier than normal," said Carol Wehle, executive director of the South Florida Water Management District.

The past two years reportedly broke the record for the driest years the region from Key West to Orlando has experienced, The Miami Herald reported Wednesday.

Lake Okeechobee, which is a main water backup for more than 5 million people, and the Kissimmee River basin, which replenishes the lake, are experiencing a two-year rain shortage in excess of 25 inches, the report said.

The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Office reported that cooling ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean could soon cause more hot, rainless days in Florida.