By Y.M. Lowy

After days of heavy rain and flooding across parts of New York and New Jersey, it might be hard to believe we are still dealing with drought conditions.

Despite several inches of rain falling this week, experts say it wasn’t enough to make up for months of below-average rainfall. Much of the tri-state remains in moderate to severe drought, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center.

Since January 1, Central Park has received just 19.31 inches of rain, about 5.3 inches below normal for this point in the year, according to the National Weather Service.

The timing is also important to note. Summer is when water demand is at its highest, with more people watering lawns, filling pools, and using water outdoors. While this week’s storms brought some much-needed rain, we still have a long way to go before the drought is erased.