Mother Nature has a bit of a temper this season with flooding happening in and around Texas and severe droughts occurring in California—she seems a little angry at someone or something.
This is the fourth ongoing year of drought throughout the state of California and the landscape is becoming increasingly barren and parched. In January of 2015, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency and told residents they would have restrictions on water usage. The average Palm Springs resident uses approximately 201 gallons of water, which is twice the California average (http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/californias-drought). Approximately 12 million trees in the area have died, which only increases the likelihood of the spread of wildfires, which have heightened in number as well as in intensity. Droughts have impacted all landforms including rivers, lakes, ponds, and even the snow peaks on the mountains and the area is seeing the worst conditions it has seen in over 1200 years. Residents have not been allowed to water their lawns and can face up to $1,000 in fines for non-compliance with water bans and regulations. Major crops that have been taking a beating include almonds and grapes, but all vegetables and fruits are being affected. People in their homes are affected on a daily basis as well. In some areas where the drought is the worst, private home wells have dried up and people have no way to wash dishes, their hands, or even to flush toilets. Think about Hurricane Sandy and if you had a well—and hence no water. Except for these people, there is no relief to be found. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an end in sight and scientists are saying that “Far worse historic decades-long dry spells are coming…unprecedented drought conditions-the worst in more than 1,000 years-are likely to come to the Southwest and Central Plains near the end of this century” (http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/californias-drought/20). There is a possibility, roughly around 90 percent, that a forming El Niño could bring some much needed rain, but there are no guarantees. Furthermore, even if significant rains do fall, they could bring with them other issues such as landslides or debris floods after fires.
On the contrary, Texas has experienced so much rain in the last month that if it were measured out, it would cover the entire state in 8 inches of waterwhich translates into nearly 37.3 trillion gallons (http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/31/us/severe-weather). Many rivers are at flood levels, hundreds of homes have been destroyed, motorists have been caught unaware on highways during flash flooding, and even cattle have been stranded. Cowboys have been rounding some cattle with boats or even rescuing calves onto the boats themselves. As of May 31, the total death toll in Texas was 37, but the surrounding states have also had flooding, bringing the total to around 45. Among those still missing are the wife and daughter of Jonathan McComb.  His 6-year-old son’s body was found and identified, and the family dog was also found clinging to trees near the area where the family’s vacation home was washed away. The McCombs were staying with another family, the Charbas as well as Michelle Carey-Charba’s parents. Of this family, two have been found, both deceased, the mother, Michelle, and her father, Ralph Carey. Still missing are 6-year-old William Charba, father Randy Charba, and William’s grandmother, Sue Carey. More than 200 people altogether have been rescued from various flood waters. Several areas have been asked to evacuate and President Obama declared the area a disaster area and has ordered Federal Relief Aid for this most devastated state. Thankfully, the weather report for the coming week shows very little rain percentages and abundant sunshine, which hopefully allows the people in the area some recovery time and will help the flood waters recede.