All of Ocean County and the Southern half Monmouth County are now experiencing extreme drought. Though this data was collected before yesterday’s rainfall, much more consistent rainfall is needed to alleviate this historic drought.
The National Weather Service reports that Monmouth and Ocean Counties have had a rainfall deficit of over 9 inches for the past 3 months. The optimal scenario would be several months of consistent, above average precipitation. Sporadic heavy rainfall events do little to replenish groundwater due to runoff.