Withered D.C. Region Cries for Water, Cool Water

Jean Paul Dionou waters vegetables at the Fort Stevens Community Garden in the District. A severe drought has killed trees and plants, hurt sales at nurseries and dried up wells. (By Marvin Joseph -- The Washington Post)

In Mount Airy, Md., which relies on wells, city officials have not only restricted sprinkler use, but they've also given away 20 rain barrels and are preparing to distribute more.

Demand for the rain catchers has been so high that Mount Airy has ordered 100 more from a Gaithersburg company, 75 of which were delivered Sunday. The town has discounted the $120 barrels to $20 each for residents.

But for those barrels to work, there has to be rain. Although tropical storm Dean is expected to be hovering around Puerto Rico by Sunday, there's no guarantee that the Washington region will be basking in an all-day downpour if Dean moves closer. The storm is too far away to accurately forecast its itinerary, National Weather Service meteorologist Sarah Rogowski said.

"Our next chance for showers-thunderstorms is Thursday night," she said, "and that's 30 percent."

Which is a 70 percent chance of no rain.

By Friday, the area will be back to sunny days. Highs in the 80s. Lovely weather.

But it won't resuscitate the trees.

Staff writers Tara Bahrampour, Virgil Dickson, Kirstin Downey, Christy Goodman, Anita Kumar, Mariana Minaya, Delphine Schrank and Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.