Rain, rain go away

As I made my latest trip to the hardware store to pick up wood and nails, I once again had to dodge big puddles in the road and use an umbrella to keep from getting soaked as I walked in and out of the store.

I’m on my third umbrella and second set of windshield wipers since the beginning of the year, and it seems as if there isn’t an end in sight when it comes to the rain.

I personally can’t remember a longer period with so much rain. The Mississippi River has been at flood levels for over 100 days and is projected to continue deep in to the summer or longer. The ground is so water-logged even a small sprinkle seems to bring huge puddles and flood streets and ditches.

The flooding is costing millions and millions of dollars to communities. Missouri just asked for a second federal emergency declaration as communities continue to try and cope. And yet every forecast seems to call for more rain.

While the rain and flooding has a huge impact on farmers, it is impacting everyone. It’s even impacting people’s moods as the continued rain keeps people inside and seems to make them a bit surly. I can’t even get out and golf much, which definitely keeps me in a foul mood.

Well, I suppose our local weather forecasters aren’t in a bad mood, loving the air time they get as one storm after another forces television shows off the air. I’m all for safety, but couldn’t they put a box on the screen somewhere to show us the game we are missing?

One thing our local forecasters aren’t able to do, or anybody for that matter, is explain exactly why this is happening. I’ve read it’s El Nino, the Madden Julian Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation. I’ve heard air pressure differences in Iceland play a part as does global warming impacting temperatures in the Arctic. I’ve been told that because the ground is so saturated that when a system passes it can suck up more water by evaporation which in turn will dump more rain on us.

I don’t know what the actual reasoning is, but I figure it is probably a mixture of a lot of factors. One thing that can’t be ignored is that climate change does play a part. I think we would be naive and foolish to think there hasn’t been some sort of climate change. But is that the only reason for the change or is it just anomaly and next year will we have a normal spring? What even is normal anymore?

Just like everything in this country now, people can’t agree. You have scientists and meteorologists saying it is this or that. Then politicians argue the this or that, acting like they have a clue what is even being talked about. And just like all issues in this country, the arguing leads to nothing and rain is just a metaphor for turmoil our country is in.

I guess I will just continue to buy my umbrellas and go back and forth to the hardware store to get my wood and nails. Because one day soon I’m going to finish my ark.