The Everglades dry up as worst drought since 2012 hits Florida

Parts of The Everglades have run dry as Florida suffers its worst drought since 2012, shuttering parts of local businesses and causing fish kills.

The huge swath of wetlands known as The Everglades covers 7,800 square miles of southern Florida, an area about the size of New Jersey. With the state experiencing its worst drought in 13 years, parts of the Everglades are drying up completely.

At Everglades Alligator Farm, off U.S. 1, 30 miles south of Miami, airboat rides have been suspended because there is no water. Airboats use large fans to propel themselves across waterways.

The farm, which is still open for educational exhibits and shows, wrote on Instagram, "This drought not only impacts tourism but also puts stress on native wildlife and increases the risk of wildfires."

Nearly the entire state, 84 percent, is in a moderate, severe or extreme drought, which hasn't happened since 2012, when the entire state had that category on April 7, 2012. Most of the Everglades drought is labeled "extreme" by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Forty miles to the north at Mack's Fish Camp, airboat tours have also stopped. Wildlife is overcrowding in remaining water pockets, CBS News says, with algae consuming all the oxygen, causing fish kills.

Unfortunately, the drought will continue for at least another month in southern Florida, but conditions are improving in the northern half of the state, AccuWeather Long Range Expert Paul Pastelok says.

"Rainfall will be very spotty the rest of this May in Miami and the Everglades," Pastelok added. "Wildfire danger will continue to be a problem as well."

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