May 23, 2013
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Tropical Storm Fay brought some good news to the state's parched Everglades and its liquid heart, Lake Okeechobee.
The lake, a backup drinking water source for 5 million people, rose more that two feet in a single week. It was the first time the lake saw such a dramatic rise in recorded history, dating back to 1931.
Lake Okeechobee sits at about 13.6 feet, up from about 11.3 feet on August 19, as Fay marched slowly up the state.
Fay also swelled the rainfall total so far for August to about 10.6 inches throughout the South Water Florida Water Management District's 16-county region from Orlando to the Keys. That's about double the typical amount for this time of year.
Across the state, Fay dropped more than 30 inches of rain in some places.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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