New Jersey Drought Ends After Two Years

Above-average rainfall in summer and fall 2026 refilled reservoirs and ended a two-year dry spell statewide.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Current Conditions

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Do you think your area's water supply is now safe enough to stop conserving?

New Jersey's two-year drought has ended after above-average rainfall in July, August and September 2026, and the state Department of Environmental Protection lifted its Drought Warning on Oct. 1. Thunderstorms on Nov. 6 broke November rainfall records across portions of the state.

Why it matters

Refilled reservoirs and groundwater supplies reduce near-term water supply concerns for residents and utilities that were managing shortages. The reversal followed 25 of the prior 30 months with precipitation shortfalls, a sustained stretch that strained water resources statewide.

Station records show 3.71 inches of rain fell over three hours in Sea Girt and 0.4 inches in five minutes in Sicklerville, a precipitation record. Manasquan Reservoir levels have returned near normal but remain somewhat below average, and it is not yet clear when full recovery will occur.

The players

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

The state agency responsible for monitoring water resources and issuing drought declarations, which lifted its Drought Warning on Oct. 1, 2026.

Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority

The local utility that operates the Brick Reservoir and plans to pump additional water into it in the coming days.

The details

The drought was reversed by a wet summer followed by a September nor'easter that dropped roughly 4 inches across much of the state, with heavier totals of 7.09 inches in Holmdel and 7.45 inches in Wall Township. Thunderstorms on the morning of Nov. 6 added to the recovery, with rainfall rates among the highest recorded in New Jersey in November.

September 2025: The nor'easter dropped rain that began replenishing the state's water supply.
Dec. 5, 2025: The Drought Warning took effect.
Oct. 1, 2026: The state Department of Environmental Protection lifted the Drought Warning.
Nov. 6, 2026: Thunderstorms broke November rainfall records across portions of New Jersey.

Seasonal Patterns

The lifting of New Jersey's Drought Warning on Oct. 1, 2026 closes a declaration that began Dec. 5, 2025, after 25 of the 30 months before October recorded precipitation shortfalls. The recovery came from a wet July through September and a September nor'easter, a pattern that reverses a long period of below-average rainfall rather than a single storm.

Residents who had been conserving water under the earlier Drought Warning can now follow standard usage guidance, as the state has lifted that warning. Water utilities expect reservoir levels to keep rising in the days ahead, though the Manasquan Reservoir has not fully returned to average levels.

The takeaway

A single wet season can reverse a long drought, but reservoirs and groundwater recover more slowly than rainfall totals suggest. Keep an eye on reservoir levels in the coming weeks before assuming full normal supply.

What happens next

Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority anticipates pumping additional water to the Brick Reservoir within the coming days, and Friday's downpours are likely to keep raising reservoir levels.