Ocean County is now classified in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as New Jersey enters the summer months under a persistent water crisis that state officials have called one of the worst in more than two decades.
As of June 9, approximately 88 percent of New Jersey – more than 7,600 square miles – is under some form of drought conditions. Severe drought covers 59 percent of the state, with an additional 5.7 percent classified under extreme drought.
The state has experienced below-average rainfall for 22 of the last 25 months, even accounting for historic snowstorms this past winter.
Ocean County falls within New Jersey’s Coastal North drought region under the state DEP’s tracking framework, which includes Ocean County and parts of Monmouth County.
New Jersey has been under a statewide Drought Warning since December 5, 2025. Under that designation — the third of four NJDEP tiers — residents are strongly urged to voluntarily conserve water. If conditions do not improve, the next step would be a Drought Emergency, which carries mandatory restrictions. The last statewide drought emergency was declared in March 2002 and lifted in January 2003.
The current crisis arrives barely a year after the state clawed its way out of its previous drought. New Jersey finally emerged from that earlier drought in June 2025, but not before the Jones Road Wildfire burned through more than 15,300 acres of Ocean County forest and land, forcing around 3,000 residents to evacuate.
State officials have since moved to bolster fire detection capacity in the region. On March 25, the DEP dedicated the Veterans Fire Tower in Jackson Township, the first new fire tower built in New Jersey in 78 years. The 133-foot structure joins a statewide network of 21 towers designed to protect more than 516,000 residents and 200,000 homes across Ocean and Monmouth counties.
Under the current Drought Warning, residents are asked to limit lawn watering to no more than two days per week, water only before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m., and minimize outdoor water use broadly. No fines are in effect at the Warning level.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill could issue a drought emergency if conditions worsen, which would carry state-mandated water restrictions affecting lawns, gardens, golf courses, pools, car washes, farms, and more.
