As students around the Southeast have gone back to school virtually, Mother Nature showed up in person in a big way at Savannah River Basin High.
Not content with last month’s ‘B’ in summer school, she delivered nearly twice her average rainfall for August at each of the sub-basins.
At the Thurmond sub-basin, in particular, she also logged perfect attendance, registering as “present” on each day of the month (as shown above in the doppler radar accounting).
The sub-basins put on their best back-to-school outfits, as
well.
Hartwell took home the superlative for “most precipitation,” grabbing 9.22
inches compared to her 5‑inch average. This performance notched her position as
fourth all-time for Hartwell in August, behind a string of 9-inch-plus whoppers
in the ‘90s, including 10.02 (1995), 9.78 (1992) and 9.41 (1994).
Thurmond and Russell didn’t let Harwell’s success deter them, though.
Thurmond collected 7.4 inches, and Russell, a solid 6.8 inches, compared to their 3.8- and 3.7-inch averages, respectively.
Thurmond’s take last month was enough to make him runner-up (Prom Prince?) for the sub-basin’s all-time August precipitation title, with first place going to 1995 (again!) at 8.08 inches.
Russell’s 6.82-inch performance netted him an honorable
mention (fourth place), three places behind (you guessed it), Mr. Wonderful
1995 at 10.74 inches. (Apparently August 1995 was a stellar season for Savannah
River Basin rainfall.)
All this above-average rainfall arrived at a time that normally features greater
evapo-transpiration, increased hydroelectric power demand and declining
rainfall, which all work to lower reservoir levels.
As a result of the solid precipitation the basin has enjoyed throughout the summer, with strong “book-end” showings in May and August specifically, reservoir levels have remained close to full pool since spring.
Now, as fall approaches and already active hurricane season enters its most prolific period, perhaps average will be good enough to get us through the semester.
~ Jeremy S. Buddemeier, Corporate Communication Office
