An unseasonably dry August occurred across the state of New Jersey with the greatest departures from normal in the central part of the state. This exacerbated crop damage that was already inflicted by the heat and the large hail storm in the southern part of the state on August 10th.  The combination of the June heat and the August hail storm and drought led the United States Secretary of Agriculture Edward Schafer to declare ten central and southern New Jersey Counties a natural disaster on September 22nd. Mercer, Monmouth, Burlington, Ocean, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland and Cape May Counties were included in the declaration.  On a county weighted average, August monthly precipitation ranged from 1.3 in Cape May County to 3.6 inches in Passaic County. Normal is around 4.3 inches. The actual August monthly precipitation total at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County) was 2.44 inches, 1.88 inches drier than normal and at Mercer County Airport 1.24 inches, 2.56 inches drier than normal. It was the tenth driest August on record at Mercer County Airport (Trenton).

Drought in GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in WESTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in WESTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in MERCER, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in EASTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in EASTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in SALEM, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in CUMBERLAND, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in WESTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in WESTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in EASTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought in EASTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 01-AUG-08 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-08 23:59:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency