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07/15/2005: Shadows of 1936...
...And not a Rain Cloud in Sight:
Think Today is Dry by Victoria Pierce (Daily Herald):”Farmers and Gardeners have been scanning the skies in recent weeks, searching for signs of thunderclouds that could bring much-needed rain.
Imagine that quest lasting for nearly a decade.
Folks who lived through the Dust Bowl of the 1930s will probably remember those days as the hottest and driest of their lives.
While dust storms literally blew the topsoil off the Great Plains to the west and south of Illinois, record temperatures were set in several Midwestern states. A heat wave in 1934 killed 679 people in Michigan. And on July 20, 1934, Iowa recorded its highest temperature ever at 118. Two years later Wisconsin’s all-time high of 114 was recorded at Wisconsin Dells.
So far, this summer has not been as hot as the scorchers during the ’30s, but the lack of rain has made this the driest spring and early summer in Illinois since 1936, according to the National Weather Service….”
Along with this similar article about Trees need watering:"Recent media coverage has drawn attention to Chicagoland’s current drought conditions and the importance of watering trees, not grass.
Trees in our urban and natural landscapes improve our environment in both obvious and subtle ways. They absorb pollutants, cool our neighborhoods, help us conserve energy, provide wildlife habitat, reduce flooding, promote appreciation for nature, and even increase retail success and real estate values.
Many trees already endure stressful conditions in urban areas, and drought can provide their fatal coup de grace, either by directly killing them or by weakening them so they are more susceptible to pests and diseases. It is critical that trees get deeply, thoroughly watered, even as our turf-grass is allowed to go brown. ….”
Trying to convince our DHC neighbors to water their poor trees and bushes to keep them alive. And Hopefully news reports like this one will make them act help to save our trees with a much needed watering.
Karen on 07.15.05 @ 10:13 AM CST
