Photo Credit: Jennifer Jensen
Once again, the United States has set a record for rainfall.
June was filled with buckets of rain that helped the US continue to set records each month.
From July 2018-June 2019, the US averaged more than 37.86 inches according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. This is 7.90 inches above average. June received an average of 3.30 inches, which is one of the highest ever recorded. Flooding continues across the Midwest and has really shown no signs of slowing down.
The temperatures that we have been dealing with are also getting close to setting records. Our temperature across the United States in June averaged 68.7, which is extremely high compared to other records of June temperatures. Many parts of the country have experienced severe flooding this year while other parts of the country have been experiencing severe droughts. It has been very difficult for meteorologists to keep track of all the crazy weather patterns that we have been seeing.
States such as Alaska, which are not known for being hot, had its second hottest June on record at 54.0 degrees Fahrenheit. This is just shy of 5 degrees above normal for them. These are temperatures that their population is just not used to.
Currently, halfway through the year, the United States has spent two billion in disaster relief so far. With four destructive severe storms and two flooding events, the United States emergency relief funds are being severely drained. It is scary to think about how much damage could still occur in the second half of this year.
This isn’t something that happens by accident; meteorologists continue to struggle in figuring out the pattern that is constantly changing.
