TAMPA, Fla. — This time of year, we get around 60% of our yearly rainfall in just a few months. Except this year, many of us haven't.
"The west side of the state, our side of the state, really missed out on most of the rainy season," ABC Action News Meteorologist Greg Dee said.
We wanted to go in-depth with Dee about what we were dealing with.
"We really have to understand that, yes, we have a lot of water, but that resource is precious. It is not unlimited. As our communities and towns grow and they tap into more and more of this water supply, we're really going to have to pull back on how much water we use," Dee explained.
The rainfall deficit is more than 5 inches.
Rainfall totals averaged 8.3 inches below average over the past 12 months. It's why Tampa Bay Water said the region is entering Stage 1 water shortage.
"Water's getting a little more scarce. Our conditions are getting dry, and we'd like for people to conserve water however they can," said Chief Science Officer for Tampa Bay Water, Warren Hogg.
The National Weather Service shows parts of Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota counties are dealing with an extreme drought. Coastal areas are between moderate and severe, but the drought is expanding into Pasco and inland areas.
"This concerns me because we are now entering a really, dry part of the year. October can be extremely dry," Dee explained.
This is also a concern for the owner of Cove Cay Golf Club in Pinellas County.
"People want to see beautiful, green (grass). They come to Florida, they want to see palm trees, green grass, (and) a beautiful golf course on the bay. If we don't provide that they're going to go somewhere else," Pat Shriver explained.
She said they do their best to conserve water.
"When we have extremely hot days, we do guard our water and we will water the greens because of the extreme heat. We'll turn on the water for just a few minutes on to each green throughout the day to keep the greens from being overheated and the grass dying," Shriver explained.
Tampa Bay Water is urging people to check for busted sprinkler heads and check your toilet. A broken flapper can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day.
