May. Recent rains have not fallen where they are most needed. Most of the rain has fallen in the Everglades instead of over the lake, farms and parched suburban lawns. To underline the severity of the crisis, the district on Monday announced it would start daily press briefings today on the water shortage. The staff also has begun talking about another round of cutbacks for utilities and some industries. The lake, South Florida's backup water supply, was at an elevation of 9.01 feet above sea level on Monday and is expected to drop below nine feet today.
Water managers say months of repeated, heavy downpours are needed to fill the lake to normal levels.
About 41 inches of rain will fall during a normal wet season, which meteorologists say this year's should be. For water managers, the 152-day wet season couldn't have come soon enough. The wet season is marked by a daily cycle of mainly afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Rising ocean and air temperatures lead to higher humidity levels and instability in the atmosphere, creating the often heavy downpours. The wind's direction determines what areas get hit.