11/1/2024
WT Staff
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November 1, 2024 940 am EDT
Red Flag Warning - Urgent Fire Weather Message
Urgent Fire Weather Message issued by NWS New York 347 am Fri Nov 1
RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY...NEW YORK
CITY...AND LONG ISLAND
WINDS...West 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. A few gusts up to 40 mph possible.
RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 35 percent.
TEMPERATURES...Up to 78
LIGHTNING...None.
IMPACTS...Rapid fire spread if ignition occurs.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are expected or occurring. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels will create a significantly
elevated fire growth potential.
Impacting Lower Hudson Valley-New York City-Long Island
Streamflow Situation from the USGS network of streamflow gauges
Lower Hudson River watershed runs much below seasonal normal water levels again today, the extended drought conditions creating the fire danger we see today. High wind and temperature, low relative humidity and tinder dry fuels in the landscape combine to create a risk of runaway fires. Streamflow gauges in the Genesee and Upper Lake Champlain watersheds are the closest to seasonal normal statewide, the remaining area is distinctly below seasonal normal moisture conditions. Partly cloudy 69 degrees in the city Friday with an expected high of 76, a slight chance of showers. Fair and 62 in the west, high 66. Partly cloudy and breezy in the north, 61 degrees with a wind advisory in effect today, "Strong winds will occur this morning. Winds between 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are expected. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result." National Weather Service, Burlington, VT.
Delaware River watershed has gone from below normal to moderate drought in the southeast overnight, it is the Upper Susquehanna River watershed that is unrated, reported here yesterday as the Upper Delaware. The Finger Lakes region remains in moderate drought from Ontario through south Wayne, Yates, Seneca, Schuyler, Tompkins and Cayuga Counties. Champlain watershed remains in severe drought in the upper end at East Essex and north Washington Counties, Upper Hudson River watershed area adjacent south has gone to from below normal to moderate drought rating through Saratoga and south Washington Counties. St. Lawrence River watershed has two river systems and the immediately surrounding valley area rated severe drought, the immediately surrounding area of St. Lawrence County is in moderate drought. Lake Ontario minor tributaries west section remains in moderate drought from Niagara to west Monroe, Niagara River - Lake Erie watershed remains in moderate drought through Erie County. The remaining watersheds are rated below normal with the exception of the Genesee, the upper portion of Mohawk River watershed, Chemung River watershed, Upper Susquehanna watershed and a smaller portion of Lower Hudson River watershed, Putnam and north Westchester remain unrated.
As of this report, there are four stations rated low, Ramapo River near Mahwah NJ is recording a 1st percentile extreme low.
WT HAB Tracker from the satellite monitoring program of the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science(NCCOS) and NYS DEC
New York
Eighty-six active HABs in NYS Friday, up down from 88 Thursday. Two more Central Park water bodies are back on the active list Friday, the Lake in Central Park and Turtle Pond with localized bluegreen. Red House Lake in Cattaraugus County and Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region likewise have new bloom reports confirmed. Canandaigua Lake has had three new blooms confirmed earlier this week, the total active blooms at 18. Harlem Meer and Upper Saranac Lake have been confirmed with new blooms this week, Beaver Dam Lake has another burst of bluegreen activity, 13 HABs in the Orange County lake. Reports made prior to Oct 18 have been archived for the season, this list is at 2006 records. The combined active and archived HAB reports by water body list is available, here.
The latest satellite image of Lake Champlain was captured Oct 31, a partially obscured picture showing no HAB activity in Lake Champlain, yet the widespread HAB in Lake Carmi, VT stands out from shore to shore at 500 thousand cells per ml concentration. According to the NCCOS Program, where HABs are observed by the early detection satellite monitoring program, cyanotoxins must be presumed present. State and local health authorities follow up with water sampling and lab testing for the common cyanotoxins and posting public warning advisories. See the NCCOS color image of Lake Champlain here.
Voluntary Water Conservation
The Town of Monroe is asking residents to conserve water as the lack of rainfall, low streamflows and drought conditions have dropped the level in the reservoir. Town of Monroe established 1799 is operates seven water treatment plants in Orange County, each licensed separately. The water districts impacted by the voluntary water conservation request include:
- Water District 1 - High Ridge, population 308, served by surface water source purchased from another licensed facility in Orange County
- Water District 2 - STRL Heights-Hor Manor with 128 residents supplied by a groundwater source
- Water District 7 - Oreco Terrace - distributes potable water to 47 residents served with surface water purchased from another facility
- Water District 8 - Skyview Hills - distributes potable water to 544 residents with surface water purchased from another licensed facility
- Water District 10 - Pine Tree Road - distributes potable water to 50 residents with surface water purchased from another licensed facility
- Water District 12 - Monroe Hills Estates - serves potable water to 196 residents from a groundwater well source in Orange County
- Water District 14 - Orchard Hills Estates - serves potable water to 196 residents from a groundwater well source in Orange County
Orange County is in the Lower Hudson River watershed, rated below normal on the USGS drought map for some time. The below normal streamflows are clearly impacting drinking water supplies in the area, including surface reservoirs and groundwater wells which may not be refreshing underground as fast as the water is withdrawn. Watch for reports of HABs and spills in the region as the water levels are lower and this tends to concentrate nutrients and contaminants spilled. Turn on the watershed layer to view the water events occurring in the same drainage area as Monroe, depicted on the map with a brown tag for low water level.
Check here for the latest hazardous spill report for NYS,
and the latest report of NYS water bodies impacted by HABs this season.
Safe Drinking Water Advisories
Rensselaer County: The Town of Brunswick issued a BWA last week Friday following repairs made in the distribution system. The boil advisory impacted customers east of McChesney Ave, Hoosick Road east of Route 142, Route 2, and Pinewoods east to Mountain View Area. Sycaway and the Northlake below the reservoir were not impacted by the boil order. The Town of Brunswick operates more than one licensed water treatment facility. The Brunswick Consolidated Water District serves 7050 residents with surface water purchased from another facility. This facility has Safe Drinking Water Act non-compliance records with the EPA for 12 of the last 12 quarters, including unaddressed violations of the Consumer Confidence Rule and lack of monitoring and reporting of Lead and Copper in the distribution system.
See the latest EPA - SDWA Compliance Report for NYS, October 2024, here.
See prior quarter EPA - SDWA Compliance Report for NYS, July 2024, here.
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