Gulf Coast drought leads to burn bans throughout the region

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

The Gulf Coast is experiencing a severe drought, prompting burn bans throughout the region as it faces a significant rainfall deficit.

Things have been progressively worsening since the end of the rainy season a few months ago, with overnight showers failing to alleviate the ongoing drought. November was one of the driest months on record for 2025, and December was not any better.

"We ended 2025 short by about 19 inches of rain in Fort Myers," said Caroline Castora, a meteorologist. "Usually, we see around 57 inches of rain. We only saw 38 inches of rain, give or take a few tenths of an inch. And so that is part of the problem."

Even with some areas receiving more rain than others, Castora explained that various factors contribute to the situation.

"So if a place is already super dry, the rain falls in a short amount of time. It doesn't get absorbed. Then things go right back to being dry," Castora said. "Because this week we're going to be in the 80s all week with no rain chances. So you got to factor in relative humidity and wind speeds and other things like that."

As the region waits for more rain, residents are advised to heed local officials' guidance on burn bans.

"If there's a burn ban in your county or enacted by your city, it's super important that you listen to it," Castora said. "There's a reason that it's in place. It's to prevent these fires from starting and more importantly, from spreading."

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