The New York Times reports that unlike last year, when the southern US suffered from a drought, this summer has brought soaking rains that are having an enormous impact on farmers, with tomatoes, watermelons, corn, pecans, peaches and peanuts among the fresh produce items being negatively affected.
"While the contiguous United States as a whole is about only 6 percent above its normal rainfall this year, Southern states are swamped," the Times writes. "Through June, Georgia was 34 percent above normal, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data Center. Both South Carolina and North Carolina were about 25 percent above normal. Alabama’s rainfall was up 22 percent."
And the problem is not likely to go away. Jake Crouch, a climatologist at the National Climatic Data Center, tells the Times: “Whenever we get in a pattern like this, we kind of stay in the status quo. When we’re hot and dry, we stay hot and dry. When we’re wet, we stay wet.”
"While the contiguous United States as a whole is about only 6 percent above its normal rainfall this year, Southern states are swamped," the Times writes. "Through June, Georgia was 34 percent above normal, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data Center. Both South Carolina and North Carolina were about 25 percent above normal. Alabama’s rainfall was up 22 percent."
And the problem is not likely to go away. Jake Crouch, a climatologist at the National Climatic Data Center, tells the Times: “Whenever we get in a pattern like this, we kind of stay in the status quo. When we’re hot and dry, we stay hot and dry. When we’re wet, we stay wet.”
- KC's View:
