Thursday, July 12, 2012

Extreme Weather?

Do we have to have extreme weather and record breakers of one sort or another every single week of the year?

The triple digits left this week, with the onset of some much needed rain and resulting overcast skies and cooler temperatures, but really -- do we really have to have 2.5 inches in under an hour?


What happened to the curb?  The sidewalks?


All under water.  There were even whitecaps in the street!  Of a sort.


The view across the street -- water almost up to their front door.  Our yard used to flood that badly when we first moved in, but all of my extensive and mostly native plant beds in the front have helped substantially with the drainage -- their deep root structure help aerate our clay soil helping the water to percolate through rather than just sit on the clay or run off, and the plants soak up the water after it rains.  When we first moved into this house 14 years ago, we had a gullywasher about 3 months after we moved in, which flooded our downstairs, damaging our new carpet, cabinets, etc. -- none of which was covered by insurance.  We've had some close calls several times since then, but our system of "rain gardening" along with strategic levees we have built up around the backyard have kept the floods at bay.


But water came down our driveway from our side and back neighbors, rushing into the screen porch. I ended up putting towels along the doors and walls of our kitchen and den in case it were to make it all the way across.  Fortunately the rain let up, allowing it to drain off before it reached the walls to our house.


And this is what was happening next door.  Their irrigation system, in full throttle.  Notice the flood waters coming from the rear there.  Their nozzles also swing 360 degrees, soaking sidewalk, street, and our yard (which I really couldn't complain about when it was so dry and hot -- saved me some watering).

This was all on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday have also brought showers and temperatures in the 80's. Our rain barrels are full again.

1 comment:

priscilla said...

Wow..thats alot of rain ! Wish we would get some ,but not that much at once !