The Rains Have Come...and Come...and Come....

Monthly Normals for WICHITA MID-CONTINENT ARPT

Month	Minimum Temperature	Maximum Temperature	Mean Temperature	HDD	CDD	Precipitation
January	20.3	40.1	30.2	1087	0	0.84
February	25.3	47.2	36.3	819	0	1.02
March	34.4	57.3	45.9	594	2	2.71
April	43.7	66.9	55.3	302	19	2.57
May	54.0	76.0	65.0	89	93	4.16
June	63.9	87.1	75.5	5	330	4.25
July	69.1	92.9	81.0	0	503	3.31
August	67.9	91.6	79.8	0	454	2.94
September	59.3	82.2	70.8	49	221	2.96
October	46.9	70.2	58.6	235	35	2.45
November	33.9	54.5	44.2	620	1	1.82
December	24.0	43.1	33.6	965	0	1.35
Annual	45.2	67.4	56.4	4765	1658	30.38

The above table is from NOAA, for Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport, which is the nearest reporting station to our home.  Note the "normal" rainfall for May--4.16".  Note, also, that May's "normal" rainfall is exceeded only by that for Jun--4.25".  May is usually one of our wet months. 

Both of the homes that we have built here in Derby have been on creek lots, so we have experienced some flooding.  When Dudette and Bogie were young, I had to carry them out of our house, through knee-deep water, to take them up the street to a neighbor's home.  Our house was, at that time (around Midnight on a day in May of 1969) surrounded on three sides by water.  That was the worst that flooding ever got while we lived in that house, and we knew that more than 1/2 (front to back) of our back yard was in the then-currently mapped flood plain.  This house is about 2.5 miles, as the crow flies, from the previous house--situated on a different creek that flows into the Arkansas River--below the point where the Little Arkansas and Big Arkansas Rivers join). 

When we built this house in 1999, the builder (who had been the foreman during construction of our home in 1968) set its elevation 3 feet higher than was required by city code.  The back yard, here, is a bit over 1/2 (front-to-back measurement) within the now-currently mapped flood plain.  Only the portion of our yard that is not in flood plain is planted in lawn, although I have planted a few bushes that are within the flood plain.  Nearly each May, we have witnessed the engulfing of a portion of our "far back" yard by the swollen creek.  Yesterday, at 4:30 AM, the flooding encroached on our lawn--outside the flood plain.  I wasn't up to see it, being abed listening to BBC, but Hunky Husband told me about it.  When I arose at 6:30 AM, the waters had already receded to the point where they were no higher than I had observed in previous years. 

Most years, I have taken photos; but, unless one is airborne, flood photos are pretty unimpressive.  They just don't do justice to the happening.  I can tell you that when I could get back into a portion of our woods (most was still under water), flotsam had been left in trees--at the level of my eyes, or higher!  I had carefully stacked about 20 timbers, each 5' to 8' long and 4" to 10" in diameter, that I had sawed (by hand with a bow saw) from the downed hackberry tree (photos in Year 2008), also addressed in Progress on Downed Tree.  All of the timbers had been swept away!  Did it take the smaller limbs that were full of branches and leaves?  No way.  The trashy stuff is still there--the waters only took the good stuff!  The waters also swept away the remainder (about 35 pounds) of a 40-pound-block of salt that I keep in the woods for the deer, and the perforated plastic tub that held it. Fortunately, I had brought the two perforated plastic tubs that I use to feed deer and wild turkey, to the patio a couple of days ago.  Unaccountably, the tubular aluminum rocking chair that had been my mothers, and which I had re-webbed for her in the early 1990s, was still there.  It is normally kept folded, leaning against a tree in the woods, so that I may take a break, sit a spell, and watch the birds when I am working in the woods.  It was flat on the ground.  Amazing!  It gladdens my heart.

A photo of the receding water is posted, first.  At the left in the photo is the corner post of the neighbor's fence. At its highest, the water surrounded that corner post. (I should mention that the neighbor has a wooden fence down to the flood plain boundary, from which point he has chain link.)  In the center of the photo is a 4" x 4" post with a bird nesting box and squirrel guard that I mounted to it.  Mama Eastern Bluebird is sitting on a clutch of 5 eggs (I checked that only bluebird eggs were in her nest, yesterday, because I had observed a female brown-headed cowbird sitting atop the nesting box).  No...I don't expect you to see her!  There is another post/squirrel guard/nesting box that is out in the middle of the water; but, it doesn't show up in the photo.  There is a bluebird nest inside it, and the bluebirds visit it, but there are no eggs.

The second photo is of the downed hackberry tree, showing that the timbers have been moved and that the water is still out of the creek banks. 

So...how much rain did we get?  Not all that much, by Florida standards:  2.76" on the 27th, 1.94" on the 26th, 2.05 on the 25th, 1.07 on the 24th, and enough before the 24th to give us a monthly total (so far) at our house of 11.07 in May 2008.  (Thanks to Hunky Husband for the statistics.)  Since the flooding, it has continued to sprinkle/light rain off-and-on, but nothing serious.)  At the very least, our May 2008 total rainfall will be 2.65 times the normal.  Actually, some of that total is in hail, but not a significant amount.  The largest hail was large marble sized.  That's the report, for now

P.S.  In the table, HDD = heating degree days and CDD = cooling degree days.  How they are computed, I've not determined.  They undoubtedly are useful to businesses who are trying to guestimate the cost of doing business in this area.

Comments

[Bogie]

You guys have too much rain and we can't buy rain. We had 1/4" aobut 10 days ago and I think that is it for the last month. Ok, that isn't exactly true. I've seen plenty of rain at work (Tuesday) and run into several showers on my way home over the last two weeks - but here at the house we haven't seen a drop.

[Cop Car]

Bogie--It's too bad that we can't get the timing and distribution of precipitation that we want. I know that you have had too much rain at times--and you surely had your share of snow this last season. Good luck! We are just thankful that the tornadoes (all 70-80 of them) have not threatened our town.

BTW: Derby has just implemented a requirement that a lawn/planting irrigation system be equipped with a rain sensor. As sopping wet as it is, here, I walked by two lawns (side-by-side) spraying away at their mud while on my walk this morning. It is owners like those who have made the law a good idea. Our system gets turned off--sometimes meaning that I arise at 3:01 AM to do the deed. I always know when the system turns on (at 3:00 AM--the nozzles for Station 1 are just outside my bedroom window), and can turn the system off if we have had/are getting/are expecting rain. Remembering to turn it back on is Hunky Husband's job!

[Rain]

I also live on a creek and have had the creek become a river and lead to filling sandbags-- that is no fun. So far it has only come up to the edge of the barn and the driveway. As you said, the photos aren't pretty. In ours they are totally mud swollen due to logged hills. That will change as the replanted trees grow bigger and hold more of the soil. I don't object to logging when it's done responsibly. That is what this area is all about-- logging and farming. It does impact the stream though when heavy rains come.

[Cop Car]

Rain--I can imagine what goes on in your neck of the woods as, for a short while, we lived in Bellevue WA. In 2002, I gave away the sand bags that I had purchased following the flood in which I carried the girls away from our home in 1969--unused. Sandbagging is a lot of work!

[Cop Car]

In the final two days of the month, we have received another 1.73" of rain (sorry, Bogie!) We've still a few hours to go and have been under severe T-storm warnings all morning. It hailed earlier this morning, while I was still abed.

[Hattie]

Our AVERAGE rainfall is 120" a year in Hilo, Hawaii, the only town in the U.S. that is in a rainforest. I love the sound of the rain on my metal roof.

[Cop Car]

Hattie--Wow! We averaged 70+ inches per year in Florida (Panama City), but that is lame compared to yours! There is a special quality to the sound of rain on a metal roof, you bet! It's been a while since I've heard it. Hilo must be beautiful to see, and to hear. Thank you for dropping by.