(Courtesy/ Wikimedia Commons)

If you were on campus last Friday, September 27, you most likely experienced the downpour that started promptly at 3:20 –perfect timing to soak anyone trying to go home or get ready for after-school practice. What you may not know, however, was that rain was not only long-awaited but marked a slight break to a historic drought for the state of Ohio. 

Throughout the entire summer to the beginning of fall, Ohio and adjacent states received a record low of 5.14 inches of rain. The months of May and June combined didn’t even provide an inch. To put this in perspective, the average amount of rainfall is 15.01, and on September 27, we received a total of 5” during just one 24-hour period.

Ohio is still an agricultural state, and this drought has significantly affected its suburbs and wildlife. The income of generational farms is now facing closure after record-low harvests.

While this influx of rainfall will provide reprieve to the 87.7% of Ohio included in this drought, it will do little to quench the mounting needs of all Ohioans, leading to an unprecedented increase in fire risks throughout the state, including the primary counties of Columbus, with one-third of the state being on no burning restrictions. 

So, the next time you walk to your car, bus, or locker room and get soaked, take a moment to consider the enormous impact our weather has on the income, beauty, and health of our state, and remember not to take rainy afternoons for granted.