With recent DC-area deluge, is the drought watch for the region over?

The D C area has been under a drought watch for almost a year but with copious amounts of rain in the last meager weeks including Friday s stormy deluge is the region out of the woods Related stories The heat is coming after Sunday s temperatures marked the coldest June since Barrage of tornado warnings in DC area Friday evening as severe weather pounds region Get ready for several years of killer heat top weather forecasters warn Not yet announced expert Michael Nardolilli executive director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin And because the drought was issued in July people are advised to use water wisely The region has gotten a lot of rain but it s not enough to lift the watch About of the rainfall we get in the Potomac basin evaporates so only about then goes into a water body Nardolilli disclosed adding that even less makes it into the groundwater which is what is needed to address the drought Last month the D C area had between a to probability that it will need to draw down reservoir reserves this summer and fall Nardolilli disclosed however because of all the fresh rain those odds have dropped a little Now our numbers are to probability of having a reservoir release he declared The good news Nardolilli revealed is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting the area will get above average rainfall between now and the end of August If that happens then they also predict that the areas that are presently in drought or moderate drought will then move into nondrought Nardolilli noted Right now we re moving into that area where we can say we do have a comfort level but we re not there yet Source