South Jersey's drought is ranging from 'moderate' to 'extreme.' But help may be on the way

A storm system slammed the South Jersey region early Friday, bringing heavy downpours, thunder and lightning.

The National Weather Service, aka NWS, issued severe thunderstorm warnings Friday morning for portions of South Jersey as the system moved through the state.

Winds were expected to reach up to 60 mph, with quarter-sized hail possible.

How much rain did South Jersey get Friday?

According to the NWS, some areas of South Jersey received more than an inch of precipitation by Friday morning. Showers had been staggered across the area throughout the week.

Precipitation at the South Jersey Regional Airport measured at a little more than an inch as of 8:26 a.m. Friday, and Somerdale reported 1.38 inches by 7 a.m. Friday, both recorded over the course of April 1-4.

Other areas reported accumulation totals in the 0.3 to 0.9 inch range.

Is South Jersey in a drought?

While drought surveillance has yet to be updated to include Friday's storms, the most recent tallies showed that the South Jersey area remains in drought as of April 1, according to drought.gov. This website sources data from the National Drought Mitigation Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Drought.gov identified areas of Atlantic County, Cumberland County and Cape May County to be in "Extreme Drought."

The rest of the region was identified as being in "Severe Drought" and "Moderate Drought."

As of March 30, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection identified southwest New Jersey and the coastal south regions of the state to have a dry 90-day stream flow in their drinking water supply indicators.

The state remains in a drought warning issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection, which has urged the public to "use water sparingly."

Will it rain this weekend?

More rain is expected throughout the area Saturday and Sunday.

Rain seems possible through South Jersey on Saturday, and showers and a thunderstorm are possible Sunday night, according to the NWS forecast.

Kaitlyn McCormick writes about trending issues and community news across South Jersey for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times. If you have a story she should tell, email her at kmccormick@gannett.com. And subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.