If August’s precipitation – the best of 2016 thus far – raised anyone’s hopes, September officially dashed them.
This year’s underwhelming 
rainfall reached a new low last month. Thurmond led the pack for most rainfall, logging 1.5 inches (43 percent of its 3.5-inch average), while Russell grabbed 1.4 inches (average 3.7 inches).
Meanwhile Hartwell, with 0.8 inches (just 16 percent of its 4.7-inch average), was like the guy who brings a single cookie to your tailgater.
Despite the increase in tropical storm and hurricane activity in the Atlantic this month, the Savannah River Basin has failed to reap much rainfall benefits. It’s like being surrounded by rain but none falls in your bucket.
And while it’s not much of a consolation – especially after nearly a year of depressingly low rainfall – it could be (and has been) worse.
Some may remember September 1984, when Hartwell recorded its lowest for the month with 0.27 inches, and Russell and Thurmond each collected half an inch.
Another record low for September came in 1954 when the sub-basins combined for 1.5 inches.
No, 2016 has been nothing to brag about but like a good novel or the current situation with Hurricane Matthew, which is slowly trudging toward the Eastern Seaboard, the ending could surprise us.
~ Jeremy S. Buddemeier, Corporate Communications Office
