11/12/2024
WT Staff
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November 12, 2024 updated 5pm EST
Red Flag Warning for Lower Hudson Valley, New York and Long Island - Fire Danger
Red Flag Warning issued by NWS New York 353 am Tues Nov 12
RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY, NEW YORK CITY, AND LONG ISLAND...
WINDS...Northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph with RELATIVE HUMIDITY as low as 29 percent, temperatures up to 56 create a fire danger.
LIGHTNING...None expected.
IMPACTS...Rapid fire spread if ignition occurs.
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 network of USGS monitoring stations in New York
Much below seasonal normal streamflows persist throughout the central and south-facing drainage basins, contributing to the high fire danger warning in effect today. Extreme drought grips the Upper Lake Champlain watershed, severe drought has taken hold on St Lawrence River watershed along the Raquette River channel, Upper Hudson River watershed and in the south, Susquehanna River, Delaware River and Lower Hudson River central Ulster and Orange Counties. The bulk surface area of Lower Hudson River watershed is rated moderate drought. Moderate drought rating covers the Upper Susquehanna River watershed and in the northwest, Lake Ontario minor tributaries west section and adjacent Niagara River - Lake Erie watershed. The remaining area statewide is rated below normal with few exceptions.
Climate Technology new Fire and Smoke tracking tool from NWS
NWS announced an upgrade to the Fire and Smoke map available on line in September 2024 Airnow Fire and Smoke Map version 4.0, here.
WT HAB Tracker from the satellite monitoring program of the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science(NCCOS) and NYS DEC
New York
Forty-two HABs remain on the notifications dashboard Tuesday, down from 47 last week Thursday as the season winds down. With record dry conditions in Lower Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island, it is not surprising to see Beaver Dam Lake in Orange County with one third of the bluegreen in the state, and new bluegreen reports coming in for several Suffolk County water bodies, including Roth Pond, Wainscott Pond and Agawam Lake. Reports made prior to Oct 27 have been archived for the season, this list is at 2087 records. The combined active and archived HAB reports by water body list is available, here.
The latest satellite image of Lake Champlain was captured for the NCCOS program Nov 11, mostly cloud obscured with no HAB activity visible between clouds.
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.
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