Puerto Rico’s U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday that heavy rainfall over the past week significantly eased drought conditions across the island. The eastern region of the main island exited extreme drought, which had affected it since last August; only a small portion of eastern Vieques remains in extreme drought. The south, in extreme drought since July, also saw relief, though the coastline from Cabo Rojo to Salinas remains affected by lack of rain.
The drought-free zone in the northwest expanded, with the area from Vega Baja to Mayagüez now free of drought. The Monitor attributed the improvement to a strong tropical wave that crossed Puerto Rico last week, bringing much-needed rain, vegetation recovery, and soil moisture improvement, though river flows remain below normal in some areas. Extreme drought coverage dropped from 37.14% to 9.64% of the territory, while moderate drought rose to 35.61% and drought-free territory increased from 26.18% to 31.96%.
Despite the improvement, reservoir levels kept dropping Thursday: Carraízo fell two centimeters in 24 hours while remaining at a safe level, and La Plata—the worst-off reservoir, under operational adjustments—dropped five centimeters, according to the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA).