Could be the Wettest year EVER!

[NBTX11]

We are absolutely swimming in water.  Areas of floods all over the state the past couple months.  Many in areas that don't normally get floods.  

This could yet be the wettest year ever in many areas of TX.  San Antonio, for example has had about 33 inches of rain so far this year (32.59 as of 2 days ago), not including the rain we got last night or today.  It has been raining and raining and raining.  That is about the annual normal total in just a little over 6 months.  We could end up with 55-60 inches or rain easily at this rate, which would shatter the all time record of around 53 inches.

During the last 33 days, we have had about 25 days with at least some rainfall.  Marble Falls, TX got nearly 20 inches of rain in one day.  All the rivers and lakes are full to the brim.  Several towns have had severe destruction from flooding.  

One good thing is we have not had one 100F day this summer.  This is extremely unusual.  Many years there are 30-40 100F days at least.  On the other hand it has been extremely humid (Florida like) with high heat indexes some days.  

For those of you in drought, I am sorry, I wish I could send some your way...

[JakeK]

I hope these high pressures stop building to the west of us so we can get some of that rain! We aren't even getting the normal convective afternoon t-storms & we've been above average for temps since May.

[Tad]

july 3rd and 4th we had 10 inches,

july 17th 3 inches

today we had another 2inches

I need it to stop for a bit so I can get some palms shipped out! ! !

[palmsrgreat]

It really is amazing. What an investment on those French drains that I put in a month ago. For once I had perfect timing on something.

I haven't had to use the sprinkler systems all summer!

[steve 9atx]

Jim

As the famous rapist said, "I feel your pain"!

And, as one of our Aussie friends said on another recent thread, I too am watching my Dypsis decaryi die a slow death due to too much moisure.  And we're only 10" ahead of normal, y'all are 15" ahead!

Steve

[happ]

Jim

That's incredible    Garden must be lush at least  :cool:

[NBTX11]

I have not watered my yard once this year and it is almost August, and everything is as green as can be.  That is unheard of for South Central TX.  I lost a palm due to overwatering, when it did not need to be watered at all with all the rain.

[steve 9atx]

Wow, Jim, it's come a "frog strangler" down your way this afternoon!  We had it overnight and this morning, probably two more inches.

Steve

[NBTX11]

They said areas got up to 8 more inches of rain today and more is coming.  There is massive flooding everywhere.  The Guadalupe river is bursting at the seams and flooding over.  There are high water rescues and and mandatory evacuations along rivers.  It looks like we could top 40 inches of rain before July is out.

[happ]

Jim

How is the river behaving downtown San Antonio around the River Walk?  A really beautiful area.

[NBTX11]

(happ @ Jul. 20 2007,20:00)

QUOTE

Jim

How is the river behaving downtown San Antonio around the River Walk?  A really beautiful area.

Not sure, I think they can shut off the flow to the riverwalk, but the 6:00 pm news was devoted almost entirely to the flooding today.  Flooding EVERYWHERE, with high water rescues, streets blocked off, rivers overflowing, homes flooded, cars stranded, etc. etc. etc.  They closed off a 15 miles stretch of road near the Guadalupe due to flooding.  There were literally lakes where fields should be when I was driving home today.  My sister works at Schlitterbahn and she said the river was almost flooding out the resort area, all the trees along the river banks were under water, I guess.

[Nigel]

(syersj @ Jul. 21 2007,01:01)

QUOTE

(happ @ Jul. 20 2007,20:00)

QUOTE

Jim

How is the river behaving downtown San Antonio around the River Walk?  A really beautiful area.

Not sure, I think they can shut off the flow to the riverwalk, but the 6:00 pm news was devoted almost entirely to the flooding today.  Flooding EVERYWHERE, with high water rescues, streets blocked off, rivers overflowing, homes flooded, cars stranded, etc. etc. etc.  They closed off a 15 miles stretch of road near the Guadalupe due to flooding.  There were literally lakes where fields should be when I was driving home today.  My sister works at Schlitterbahn and she said the river was almost flooding out the resort area, all the trees along the river banks were under water, I guess.

Well our weather starts down there and comes across the Atlantic to the UK.

We have had the wettest May ever recorded.

3rd wettest June ever recorded ( wettest ever in my region)

Now we are on course for wettest July ever, 4 inches of rain in one day this week and much of the UK under floodwater.

No heat either, exactly the same as you texas guys are saying. Just rain rain and more rain.

[NBTX11]

Well, the term "heat" is relative, I think.

Normally, it is between 35-40C during the summer here.

Instead it is "only" 31-33C, but the humidity is very high.

There has been no difference in humidity here compared to FL this year.

[steve 9atx]

Nigel

The one hole in your theory is that between us and you, there is quite a bit of drought in the SE USA.  So, it seems this year that the weather is not moving from us to you, but simply stopping over us.

Jim

Looks like we're getting a reprieve from the rain for two days at least.  We had a little "cool" front come through that's going to have us flirting with the record lows set in 2000 for today and tomorrow, 71 and 69F respectively.

Steve

[NBTX11]

No rain last 2 days.

41.45 inches of rain total this year so far in New Braunfels (33.97 at San Antonio Intl. airport)

14.01 inches of rain this month.

Very humid to say the least.

[Nigel]

(steve 9atx @ Jul. 23 2007,11:43)

QUOTE

Nigel

The one hole in your theory is that between us and you, there is quite a bit of drought in the SE USA.  So, it seems this year that the weather is not moving from us to you, but simply stopping over us.

Yep sorry, I must have imagined the sequence of lows coming across the atlantic and the 350,000 people homeless and flooded here.

[steve 9atx]

Jim

The weekend before the 4th some friends of mine tried to get into the Guadelupe on tubes, I don't know exactly where, and the cops saw them and kicked them out.  Then they went into New Braunfels and tried to float the Comal through town.  I suppose they put in just downriver from Landa Park.  Once again, they got kicked out.  Later, another cop came by and let them get in the Comal as long as they got out at a specified takeout.

They had a whole vacation week of float trips planned all over central Texas (Frio, Perdenales, Guadalupe, etc.) and just got a half hour on the Comal!

If you live in New Braunfels, you must be keenly aware that the new FEMA maps put something like half of the City of New Braunfels in the 100 year flood plain now.  A few years ago, I designed a little condo project on the side of a cliff on the east bank of the Guadelupe just south of Gruene right off Gruene Road.  After doing our due diligence we found that in the new maps, the lower three of nine condos that stepped down the hill would be in the flood plain.  That killed the deal.  And to stand there and look at a giant houses on the west bank with giant lawns coming up from the river but scores of feet lower in elevation!  I may have some photos of the site at the office.  If so, I'll post them - you might recognize the site.

You have any idea how many CFM the Canyon Lake Dam is letting go these days?  6-900 CFS used to be killer canoeing flows.  If I had to guess, I'd guess half again as much to double.

Steve

[steve 9atx]

Nigel

I am sorry.  Like most palm growers, we at this lattitude tend to look only at our own latitude and south from there (AU/ZA correct for your aspect); until recently, I haven't been following your weather until I read about the unbelieveable flooding in the UK today.

I hope you and yours are high and dry.

Now that you mention the west/east weather at your latitude, I heard today that the jet streams at both ends of the globe have been unusually distant from the poles accouting for the extreme cold on the polar sides and the unusually wet weather on the tropical sides of these currents.

Here's hoping for a return to "normalcy", whatever that is, with regard to the weather.

Steve

[NBTX11]

(steve 9atx @ Jul. 23 2007,23:40)

QUOTE

Jim

The weekend before the 4th some friends of mine tried to get into the Guadelupe on tubes, I don't know exactly where, and the cops saw them and kicked them out.  Then they went into New Braunfels and tried to float the Comal through town.  I suppose they put in just downriver from Landa Park.  Once again, they got kicked out.  Later, another cop came by and let them get in the Comal as long as they got out at a specified takeout.

They had a whole vacation week of float trips planned all over central Texas (Frio, Perdenales, Guadalupe, etc.) and just got a half hour on the Comal!

If you live in New Braunfels, you must be keenly aware that the new FEMA maps put something like half of the City of New Braunfels in the 100 year flood plain now.  A few years ago, I designed a little condo project on the side of a cliff on the east bank of the Guadelupe just south of Gruene right off Gruene Road.  After doing our due diligence we found that in the new maps, the lower three of nine condos that stepped down the hill would be in the flood plain.  That killed the deal.  And to stand there and look at a giant houses on the west bank with giant lawns coming up from the river but scores of feet lower in elevation!  I may have some photos of the site at the office.  If so, I'll post them - you might recognize the site.

You have any idea how many CFM the Canyon Lake Dam is letting go these days?  6-900 CFS used to be killer canoeing flows.  If I had to guess, I'd guess half again as much to double.

Steve

I can't remember the CFS for the Guadalupe and/or Canyon Dam, but I do know business are losing a lot of business, because it's too fast for tubers.  Sometimes they only let kayakers out there, and sometimes it's too fast for anyone.  I keep hearing about evacuations of tubers camped on the river.  A lot of vehicles have been lost due to fast rising water.

I know EXACTLY where you are talking about.  I live less than a mile from Gruene, right off Gruene road.  I do not believe I am in the flood plain.  I haven't had any problems with flooding, while just a few streets over there is severe flooding with streets and homes flooded out.  They built our subdivision with decent drainage (it goes into a big retention pond) with the the housest built up with good sloping drainage.

We got another torrential dowpour for about 45-60 minutes last night.  My yard is so soaked like a big sponge, that couple with the heavy wind, it knocked over one of my established 5-6' tall Washingtonias.  I am going to have to do a little repair job with the soil around it.

We got another probably 1-2 inches at least yesterday, so that puts us close to 44 or maybe 45 inches for the year so far.

[steve 9atx]

Jim

Here you go.  I am standing about halfway down my site but still well above normal river level.  As you can see, the houses on the other side are much lower.  They all must be in the floodplain as of the latest FEMA maps.  If so, they probably have some water in them now.

Tubers thrown in for scale.

Steve

[NBTX11]

I am up to 16.47 inches of rain for the month of July 07

43.91 inches for the year

More rain on the way...could we get 70 inches or rain this year???