There have been significant improvements in the drought situation on the Treasure Coast in Martin and St. Lucie counties. Drought conditions have dropped from severe to moderate after rain flooded parts of St. Lucie County this week.
At Sebastian River Farms, rain is absolutely critical in keeping trees alive, something they’re very much in need of, even still, it’s a far cry from the rain covered streets just 30 minutes south.
Fort Pierce resident Jim Rondeau walked WPTV through his backyard along Shoreline Drive, which was still soggy from Thursday’s rain.
“I was just cutting down these, getting ready to clean them up when the rain hit,” he said.
It rained so much, it was nearly three inches, hitting a daily record for Fort Pierce, leaving the couple’s street underwater.
“Our pool started to overflow, and then, it was puddling around the back of their house, so we were concerned about that.”
The rain helped much of the Treasure Coast, yet rain covered roads, are a stark contrast from the dry, cracked earth just over the Indian River County line.
“Over the past week we’ve probably had about three to four inches or rain, it’s been super helpful,” Clay Hendrickson said. “It’s brought this water level up tremendously, but we’re still woefully low.”
Hendrickson works at Sebastian River Farms. The drought is stunting the growth of the Vero Beach nursery’s trees, doubling their costs of irrigation.
“We have to run this pump a heck of a lot more,” Hendrickson said. “The cost of diesel fuel is extremely expensive.”
The drought has forced them to take measures they never have before.
“We’re having to pump water into the lake, which is unheard of,” he said.
The good news is Florida Forest Service said the county’s fire danger level has dropped from high to low.
“It’s looking a lot better than it was a couple weeks ago,” said Miguel Nevarez.
Hendrickson hopes so too, knowing full well there’s no predicting mother nature and the paradox she often brings.
“We’re used to pivoting,” he said. “We depend on the rain, but we’re pretty good at figuring out one or another.”
WPTV First Alert Weather team said we still need about five inches of rain to get out of the severe range and Florida Forest Service officials are still monitoring for possible wildfires.