Rain in Indiana

By: Paige Chambers

For the past three to four weeks, it seems as all Indiana has dealt with is rain. This rain has caused more than just an unpleasant walk into buildings, but also temperature change, accidents, flooding, and damage to many areas of the state. Indiana is known to be the 26th wettest state in the U.S., but this year it has felt like we have been number one.

The rainfall this year has caused the temperatures in central Indiana to drop down into the lower 50's and 60's, with high winds, making it feel very cool outside. "The weather will be nice and warm and then rain comes and it makes me feel like summer is never going to come." says senior Tanna Jones.

Flooding has been an issue also. Many houses have became unlivable due to basements being destroyed and equipment needed to run a home. My grandmothers rental homes were destroyed in flooding. As rental homes cannot have flood insurance, the people renting these houses were forced to move out. The basements were completely filled with water, ruining the washer and dryer, furnace, and water heater. Also, on one house, the walls of the basement were busted down and part of the side of the house, leaving a hole which was visible from the street. These houses were declared a disaster by the mayor of Muncie. FEMA also had to be brought in to help pay for the damage as it was so expensive. They actually decided the damage was too extreme to fix and the houses are being torn down. House floods pose a problem as now these people have no where to live and must find a home within a matter of days. This is just one example of the rain ruining houses.

All the rain has lead to storms, hail, and tornadoes. This adds to flooding becoming much easier. In February, ARF was completely flooded. An channel 13 article stated, "In the city of Muncie, 5 feet of flood waters damaged the city's Animal Rescue Fund, a non-profit animal shelter near the Delaware County Airport. The shelter evacuated all of its 150 cats and dogs safely to local veterinarians, and will begin finding foster owners for them tonight. None of the animals were injured"

All the rain Indiana has seen this year so far has seemed ridiculous. To many it feels like it rains at least two or three times a week. "I hate rain. It really gets annoying having to walk in it every week. It puts a damper on my mood and it makes everything seem gloomy," says senior Kylie Smith.

On average, Indianapolis sees 126 days of rain a year, 43 thunderstorms, 1 hail storm, 5 severe thunderstorm warnings, and 12 tornado watches. The state averages 41.72 inches of rain each year.