Last year we endured the record breaking summer of drought. Not only did the crops suffer but also the livestock that supply food to our tables. Many don’t know what also suffered, were some of the homes here in North Iowa that had basement foundations that sank due to the extremely low water table. When something is built on soil that has an average moisture content and remains that way, it gives stability. But, if the moisture content is taken away, the soil shifts and contracts which then causes footings to sink and subsequently walls to crack. There are some homeowners that are now faced with dealing with cracked foundations.
Now comes this year’s North Iowa weather. I had an appointment in Worth County this afternoon and in coming back, I decided to travel the blacktops back to Mason City. Wow, what a sight! I didn’t realize how much the ground is still saturated from the rains of last month. I came up over a hill and when I looked out over the fields below I saw large ponds of standing water in nearly every field. Remember, almost every crop field has some sort of tiling system in it. Well, it appears the tiles are still attempting to drain away water from our last rain. I’ve heard many reports that in our area at this time, we are at the ground water saturation of the flood of 2008. It’s no wonder why I get really nervous every time it starts raining. It seems these bands of showers are heavier and longer lasting. I had appointments to show homes this morning and was drenched by the time I was finished. What makes me even more sad is that I see some of the gardens and fields are damping off as well. Too much water basically drowns the root systems of plants.
Last summer was The Summer without Rain. This summer is The Summer of Storms. Anyone up for writing a book?
