This summer vs. last summer
If you’ve been outside much the past couple of months, or if you’ve been watching weather reports, you’ve probably noticed a bit of a difference between this summer and last.
There’s the rain, of course. Just a few weeks ago, many Catoosa County residents saw their roads turn to rivers and their yards to lakes. The flash floods affected businesses, too. Bonnie Falkenberry, owner of Susie’s Antiques & Collectibles on Lafayette Road, finally decided to liquidate most of her stock and move the rest to higher ground. “The water was coming under the back door of my store,” says Falkenberry. “After the last flood, I was walking in muck up to my ankles.”
In 2016, no one was worried about flooding. The months of June and July gave us a meager 3.71 inches of rain. Gardens withered and local municipalities, as well as the states of both Georgia and Tennessee, issued water and burn restrictions. According to United States Drought Monitor, our area was in severe to extreme drought conditions throughout these months (and beyond).
Fast forward to this summer. We saw a soaking 11.42 inches of rain in June and July, and August appears as if it will follow suit. Gardeners worry their tomatoes and zucchini might drown instead of parch to death. Restrictions on the use of water and on burning brush have been lifted, and businesses and homeowners keep an eye on the skies so they can secure their property against the savages of a potential deluge.
The temperature disparity between last year and this is possibly even more striking than the difference in rainfall. Consider days that have reached a high of 90 degrees or more. In June and July of 2016, we had 50 such days. Of those 50, a whopping 31 reached 95 degrees or higher.
And this year? June and July had 25 days of 90 degrees or higher and only three of those days reached 95 or higher.
The takeaway? Be thankful for this year’s reprieve from drought and heat and hope it’s not a harbinger of a similar winter to come. And keep a few sandbags on hand.
Resources: wunderground.com, droughtmonitor.unl.edu