Despite the recent rainfall in Lakewood, the northern part of town is now officially in a drought zone, according to the latest maps from the National Drought Mitigation Center.

According to the map, several counties in Central Jersey, including the tip Ocean County, are now experiencing a “moderate drought,” while most of the state is seeing “abnormally dry” conditions.

Moderate drought is just one level below severe drought.

The entire Monmouth County has now been elevated to moderate drought, last week it was abnormally dry.

Areas where there is a moderate drought will likely see some damage to crops and pastures and may soon see a slight water shortage.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, which is updated once a week to show the location and intensity of drought conditions across the country, show experts’ assessments of conditions related to dryness and drought including observations of how much water is available in streams, lakes, and soils compared to usual for the same time of year.

It should be noted that in New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection makes the official calls on drought status in the state. And according to them, the state’s water supply remains at normal levels for this time of the year.

Last month, the DEP requested that residents across the state start conserving water.

They also noted that current water demands are being met and New Jersey’s water systems are capable of handling periods of low precipitation. Reservoir levels are near long-term averages for this time of year and groundwater supplies are near normal, with the central and southern portions of the state tending to be drier.