It’s evident that the lower Hudson Valley is aching for precipitation, from the crisp infield of Yonkers Raceway to the stark contrast of the well-kept greens and low-maintenance grounds of Sprain Lake Golf Course. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that 6.4% of New York and 12.2 million residents are suffering from drought.

Climate scientist Samantha Borisoff of NOAA’s Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University stated, “We are currently experiencing moderate drought, which is sort of that first rung of dryness.”

Droughts have affected the Lower Hudson Valley in recent years.

According to Borisoff, there should be a moderate drought roughly every five to ten years.

According to Borisoff, “there has been drought in the lower Hudson this year, last year, and the year before.”

Nevertheless, this drought has special features.

According to Borisoff, “the rapid onset nature, the overall lack of precipitation.”

The state Department of Environmental Conservation, or DEC, issued a Drought Watch for 15 counties, including New York City and the lower Hudson Valley, due to worsening circumstances. The state’s Drought Management Task Force has been activated by the watch. The task force’s biggest concern, according to Terence O’Leary, executive deputy commissioner of the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, is wildfires.

There are currently certain burn bans in place in the Hudson Valley. No one is limiting water use, but if we go from a watch to a warning, those are the next actions that will take place,” O’Leary stated.

To save 18,000 acres and visitors, Westchester County Parks banned open fires on Wednesday.

Peter Tartaglia, 1st Deputy Commissioner, stated that it was a wise move to make at this exceptionally dry period. “The weather has been ideal for visiting our parks. Therefore, we simply ask that people be careful.

Here are some things locals can do.

O’Leary advises locals to consider the necessity of their use in order to reduce strain on the water supply.

“The best thing a person can do to help is probably to keep it in the forefront of their mind and ask themselves, ‘Do I need to use this water in this fashion?'” O’Leary stated.

He advised correcting leaks, feeding plants water collected in rain buckets, dehumidifiers, or air conditioners, and only watering lawns when absolutely required.

According to Borisoff, the area needs rain and slow-moving soakers in order to restore the beauty of the dry ground.

“We need to close some really significant gaps. Borisoff stated, “It won’t be as simple as “well, we get a couple of rains, and it’s done.”