North Shore 'Extreme Drought' Extended Despite Bout Of Rain

SALEM, MA — With two days of heavy rain helped ease drought and fire concerns across much of Massachusetts this past week, that was not the case on the North Shore where the region remains in an "extreme drought."

The North Shore is part of 9 percent of the state — down from 32 percent last week — in the highly elevated drought state, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Eighty-six percent of the state is still in a "severe" drought, while 100 percent of the state is experiencing at least a moderate drought.

While many areas of the state were hit with more than four inches of rain — and up to 11 inches fell in parts of flooded sections in Rhode Island — there were lesser amounts on the North Shore.

DCR Chief Fire Warden David Celino said late last month that it would take a "season-ending event" — such as a tropical storm or depression that passes slowly off the New England coast — to significantly lower the fire risk in areas like the North Shore.

"Two days of rain gives us respite," he said during a news conference about the Breakheart Reservation Fire in Saugus and Wakefield and the Lynn Woods Reservation fire that burned 86 acres of the North Shore. "It gives our resources the chance to get after these fires without the chance of new starts. Probably, the fire danger is low for two days. That means we are not
going to get any new fires.

"But then there is another drying period."

According to AccuWeather, following a mostly dry weekend, there is a chance of rain showers both Monday and Tuesday — with scattered downpours forecast for Tuesday. That is forecast to be followed by more sunny, warm and dry conditions for the rest of the week.

Peabody remains in a temporary Level 3 water ban where outdoor water use is restricted to watering plants and flowers from a pail or water can only. The Phase 3 level includes a $100 fine per offense.

Danvers is in a Level 6 ban — the highest on the town scale — that prohibits all outdoor water use — including sprinklers, irrigation systems, and even hand watering of flowers with hoses or cans. Filling swimming pools and car washing is also forbidden.

Violations of the Danvers ban result in a warning letter on the first offense and a $300 fine for each subsequent offense.

While there was no water restriction in Beverly and Salem as of Friday, Water Supply Board Executive Director Alan Taubert issued a letter to both communities late last month asking for "cooperation and diligence in regard to conserving water during this dry summer period."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)