Meteorologist reports unprecedented weather anomaly happening in New York City: 'What comes around goes around'

October was New York City's driest calendar month on record, coming during a time that saw a rapid expansion of drought conditions across the country.

What's happening?

A paltry .01 inches of rain fell in Central Park during the entire month of October, making it the driest month on record for New York City.

The city's dry pattern began several weeks ago. Since the start of September, New York City has received just 1.59 inches of rain. That represents just 18% of the average rainfall for the September through October period.

"The flipside of this is that last year, it seemed like every weekend of September and October was rainy," said National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Goodman, per Bloomberg. "So what comes around, goes around."

Why is a record-dry October for New York City important?

The United States' most populous city wasn't alone as it endured an arid October. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported in its October 29 analysis that 87.16% of the contiguous U.S. was experiencing abnormally dry to exceptional drought conditions, a record since the program started issuing reports 25 years ago.

The National Centers for Environmental Information's national climate report noted October precipitation for the contiguous U.S. was .95", or 1.21" below average, which ties for the second driest with October 1963.

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The impact of a dry fall on most of the country was still being felt into the middle of November. A Nov. 12 update from the National Interagency Fire Center reported that seven large wildfires had burned more than 290,000 acres in six states.

Firefighters were battling blazes on both the east and west coasts in states including California, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, West Virginia, Massachusetts, and New York. The year-to-date statistics included nearly 50,000 fires that have charred over 8 million acres in the U.S.

What's being done about the country's drought?

Many federal and state agencies provide direct relief and recovery support for drought impacts.

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The Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool is designed to help explore programs that provide emergency assistance and loans for those dealing with losses to crops, livestock, trees, and farmland.

Long-term drought relief and recovery programs include the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program, a new FEMA predisaster mitigation program.

Our warming world is exacerbating droughts by increasing their frequency and making them longer and more severe. Cooling our overheating planet is critical. Small steps like upgrading to electric yard tools, unplugging "energy vampires," and making your home a smart home can help.