Drought in Charlotte County has dried up one canal on the Cape Haze Peninsula

CAPE HAZE PENINSULA, Fla. (WINK)—Some communities in Southwest Florida are not feeling relief from the rain this summer, with neighbors on the Cape Haze Peninsula in Charlotte County saying they're seeing the drought firsthand in their backyards.

A dried-up canal is just one sign of drought for this neighborhood.

It's so dry that you can see the trail on the ground where the neighborhood alligators and other wildlife have been walking back and forth. The WINK Weather Authority says the Cape Haze Peninsula has seen less than 2 inches of rain in the last month and is 10 inches below normal since the start of the dry season last October.

Brush fires popping up across Southwest Florida are a concern for the Morgans. 

"All it takes is a cigarette butt, and with the winds, I see what happens, you know," James Morgan, a WINK Weather Watcher, said.

Just down the road, WINK Weather Watcher Ann Kotz is seeing the impact in her yard.

"I had a very healthy crop of tomatoes, the heat's taking them out," Kotz said. “It's struggling because I can't really water it, except for once a week.”

Kotz has been following lawn-watering restrictions that allow her to water her lawn only once a week. She says her canal is also down.

"You can see, the water's down, you can see the water line on the pylons, so it's down, you know, a good 18 inches, couple of feet," Kotz said.

Residents are hoping for relief soon.

"We're going to pray for some rain," Kotz said.