Drought Conditions Improve Across Rhode Island

NEWPORT, RI — Drought conditions have improved across the New England region in the past month, according to the National Weather Service.

Here in Rhode Island, the entire state was categorized as being in an "extreme drought" on Oct. 13. As of Tuesday, the state is split between "severe drought" and "moderate drought," the second- and third-tier categorizations, respectively.

In September, Gov. Gina Raimondo issued a statewide drought advisory for Rhode Island.

"I want to reassure Rhode Islanders that we have systems in place to respond to dry conditions, and we will continue to closely monitor the situation in the days and weeks ahead," Raimondo said at the time. "We are encouraging residents and businesses to identify their water supplier and watch for any water restrictions in their area. I also want to remind Rhode Islanders to be considerate of their water usage, because we all play a role in our state's water conservation efforts."

The next week, the NWS categorized the state as being in an "extreme drought," the fourth of five tiers.