The combination of an unseasonably warm July and below normal monthly precipitation intensified the drought across Delaware. On a county weighted average July monthly precipitation was 2.3 inches in Sussex County, 3.3 inches in Kent County and 1.8 inches in New Castle County. Normal is around 3.9 inches. Monthly precipitation totals at the New Castle County Airport was 1.40 inches and in Georgetown (Sussex County) was 2.14 inches. The drought warning remained in effect for the state. Governor Ruth Ann Minner continued to ask residents to voluntarily conserve water by restricting all non-essential uses such as washing cars and using wise water habits such as running the dishwasher and clothes washer with full loads. On July 18th the State Drought Advisory Committee urged residents and businesses to voluntarily cut water usage by 10 percent to stave off restrictions, especially in the northern half of New Castle County. Demand for water dropped after this request. Nevertheless, without adequate precipitation low streamflow daily records were being set for the Brandywine and White Clay Creeks. Groundwater monitoring wells were all near or at record lows for the calendar day. Even streamflow in tidal sections of the Nanticoke River (Sussex County) were at their lowest levels since the 1950s. For emergency use, the Hoopes Reservoir in New Castle County was at capacity. The continued dry conditions forced Sussex County officials to ban all outdoor burning on the 19th. The unseasonably hot July combined with inadequate rainfall during the critical pollination phase devastated the state's corn crop. It was estimated that 75 percent of the corn crop has been hurt by the drought. Yields in Sussex County for unirrigated corn fields was expected to be 10 bushels per acre versus the normal yield of 120 bushels per acre. The National Agriculture Statistics Service report for Sussex County crops toward the end of the month indicated how much the drought has intensified. Forty-four percent of the county's corn crop was rated as very poor and only 36 percent was either in fair or good condition. Forty percent of the county's soybean crop was also in very poor condition with only 29 percent in fair or good condition. Eighty-two percent of all farmland was rated as being very short of moisture. Normal is only 9 percent.  State officials were considering declaring the corn crop a disaster.The Delaware River Basin Commission continued its drought emergency declaration for the entire Delaware River drainage basin. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River fell from 89.0 percent of capacity on July 1st to 77.1 percent of capacity on July 31st.

Drought in DELAWARE BEACHES, DELAWARE
From 01-JUL-02 00:00:00 to 01-JUL-02 23:59:00 (EST)
Property damage: 0
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL

Drought in INLAND SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 01-JUL-02 00:00:00 to 01-JUL-02 23:59:00 (EST)
Property damage: 0
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL

Drought in KENT, DELAWARE
From 01-JUL-02 00:00:00 to 01-JUL-02 23:59:00 (EST)
Property damage: 0
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL

Drought in NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
From 01-JUL-02 00:00:00 to 01-JUL-02 23:59:00 (EST)
Property damage: 0
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL