31 May 2016

Le déluge, c’est maintenant

We got another inch of water in the rain gauge overnight. That's 25 millimeters, added to the 18 mm we dumped out of the gauge yesterday morning. Today we are under an orange alert for heavy rains and local flooding.

The big red dot toward the top of the map is Paris, and the smaller one to the south is Saint-Aignan. The orange alert expires at 4 p.m. today but could well be extended.

On Télématin they just said that Paris has broken an old record (from 1992) for the most rain the city has ever before recorded — 132 mm — in the month of May. The weather presenter said that so far, they've had 150 mm in Paris this month. Here in Saint-Aignan, we've recorded 157 mm since May 1. That's more than three times the average.

Everything outdoors sure is green, but the peonies look beaten down.

And guess what — it's still raining, and we might get another inch of rain today, if we are to believe the forecasts. We haven't had any real flooding here, though water did come in under the garage door downstairs — the house is built on a concrete slab — and under the back door. There are big puddles on both the garage and utility room floors. No damage has been done, though. We haven't, knock on wood, seen any sign of roof leaks, and we haven't had any hail or high winds.

24 comments:

  1. May 2016 will not make me change my opinion that the month of May is usually a wet one, at least in Paris!

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  2. In poland we have summer but storms are every day

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  3. Quack, quack, quack!!.....or in France....coin, coin, coin!!
    When I downloaded the data from the weatherstation on Saturday, this last few bucket loads hadn't been delivered....
    It was reading 97mm then....see, I'm so depressed by it, I'm not using my usual millipedes!!
    The rain radar shows dark blue heading straight down towards us....
    And the webbing between my toes is getting wider....and I'm sure I can feel three lumps...either side of my neck....
    I think gills are beginning to form............

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    1. I hope you don't have any serious flooding worries down in your valley.

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    2. Currently cut off from Le GP....whole valley is awash!
      I went to talk to the oncologist today in Poitiers...terrible driving conditions...
      When we got back we took some pix up the far end of the valley towards Le PP....
      and the pompiers have gone past, lights flashing, so some poor soul must need pumping out!!

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  4. I saw an article in the Washington Post a few days ago saying it had rained there every day from May 1 until May 15. I just checked the Accuweather monthly site for DC and it shows they've had 153 mm of rainfall in May. So it's kind of a tie.

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    1. Meanwhile, Morehead City has recorded about 210 mm since May 1 — wow.

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    2. I wonder what happened to the California draught? Is it still going on or do they have rains as everywhere else?

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    3. They've had some rain but not too much, I think. I'll check the Accuweather site. Okay, it seems Auburn, California (where Sue lives), has had 24 mm in May. I'm sure there are some years when she doesn't get any rain at all in May. Salton City got 9 mm on April 8, but nothing since. Not a drop in February or March, but 30 mm in January! I bet the desert flowers were pretty this year.

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    4. As I understand it, Los Angeles again received less than the average annual rainfall during this year's rainy season.

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    5. We're still drought-y on the SF Peninsula. The people-in-charge ended the water rationing, but it still seems dry.

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  5. Did you see the NYT story on the Texas floods? http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/31/us/6-dead-in-texas-floods-and-more-rain-is-coming.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&hpw&rref=us
    And the California drought: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/28/science/california-water-drought-el-nino.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-4&action=click&contentCollection=U.S.&region=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article

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  6. I see Houston has had over 180 mm of rain in May, including 65 mm (2½ inches) last Friday alone.

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  7. It was quiet, dry and mostly sunny all last week in London. but today the rain-clouds have come and settled on top of us too.

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    1. Sorry to hear that, for you. I hope the rain doesn't last as long there as it has here.

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  8. It's quite dry here in Alabama.

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  9. I have a friend who is visiting France right now -- between the strikes and the rain, it's perhaps not the best time :) But, she has been before, and is such a positive person, that I think she'll just enjoy it all anyway :)

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    1. I've always seen the strikes and the bad weather as two of France's great charms, LOL. When you get a stretch of a few weeks without troublesome metro, bus, postal, or garbage strikes and with some sunny days, it's glorious.

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  10. We are just getting one of those afternoon thunderstorms that pop up in Florida .. A lot of noise and a bit of rain and then it is gone. I will take that over the snow in NY any day.
    This made me think / remember, I have no memory of any rainy days all the times I have been in Paris. I guess October/November and March were dry months :)

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