Ernesto Morales, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that the drought affecting Puerto Rico will continue despite recent improvements in reservoir levels, and that the medium- and long-term forecast indicates drier-than-normal conditions. ^[1] Governor Jenniffer González Colón announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved an additional drought disaster declaration for Puorto Rico, designating three municipios as primary disaster areas and 16 municipios as contiguous areas. ^[2] Morales expressed concern that the accumulated rainfall deficit could extend until November, when hurricane season ends and the dry season begins in Puerto Rico. ^[3] The improvement in reservoir levels allowed a temporary pause in water rationing for customers of the Carraízo reservoir in Puerto Rico, but the drought risk remains. ^[4] Ernesto Morales, metoetorologist and warning coondination officer at the National Weather Service in San Juan, said in a Facebook post that recent rains from tropical storm Dolly's remnants helped ease water rationing but did not end the drought, and that forecasts for the coming weeks and months point to below-normal precipitation. ^[5] The drought disaster declaration makes eligible farmers and producers eligible for emergency loans and other assistance, and makes available U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans for economic damage to eligible small businesses and nonprofits in designated municipios. ^[6] The new USDA drought disaster declaration lists Barranquitas, Caguas and Guayama as primary disaster areas, and Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Arroyo, Cayey, Cidra, Coamo, Comerío, Corozal, Gurabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Salinas, San Juan, San Lorenzo and Trujillo Alto as contiguous areas. ^[7] Morales noted that La Plata did not receive the same amount of rain as Carraízo on Monday night, explaining the difference in recovery of their levels. ^[8]