Rukavina's Extreme Weather and Climate Blog

As our global climate changes, so does our planting zones, helping us determine which flowers/shrubs/trees are hardy in specific areas. The Local 6 area has always been split by 2-3 growing zones so placement becomes very important to those in the agricultural community. The image below represents the average over the past 30 years. Climate Central published the following information:  "What kinds of flowers, shrubs and trees you’ll find at your local nursery depends on your climate — how warm it tends to get in summer, and how cold in winter. A plant that’s happy in Wisconsin might be miserable in Alabama, and vice versa. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has formalized these differences into " hardiness zones " — strips of similar climate that run more or less east-to-west (except in the high mountains), where particular plants should do especially well. But as the planet warms under its thickening blanket of greenhouse gases, those zones are shifting northward. Th...

Did you know that the Floods are the #1 natural disaster in the Unites States and nearly 20% of all insurance claims due to flooding come from moderate to low risk areas? We've seen this happen in our own communities as recently as 2011 when collectively the Ohio, Mississippi, Cumberland, Tennessee, and Clarks Rivers experienced "100 yr" floods. Even areas that had never seen major flooding were inundated by an overly active winter rainy season that did not relent while transitioning into Spring. We are entering a delicate time of the year where Winter transitions to spring and several factors can play a part in our flooding risk. Snow melt, spring thaw, heavy rains, and even ice jams (rarely) can contribute to the cause. To evaluate exactly what your risks are where you live (here in the Local 6 area or elsewhere) check out this interactive panel below. In general the Local 6 area is prone to flooding from the Spring thaw and heavy thunderstorms. Snowfall becom...

From multiple flash flood events to a dramatic recovery of the worst drought in Western Kentucky's history, our changing seasons are seemingly becoming more extreme. The 2013 National Climate Assessment shows that extreme heavy precipitation events are becoming more common across the SE Unites States. In June alone, the WPSD Local 6 area was impacted by 4 flash flood events and June 2013 became the 5th wettest on record. South Fulton, Tennessee, Paducah, Kentucky, and Madisonville/Mortons Gap, Kentucky all suffered damage from short duration heavy precipitation events. One of the wettest June's on record was anything but expected after one of the country's worst droughts devastated most of Western Kentucky's corn and soybean crop. As we begin the month of July, the USDA reports that the corn & soybean crops of Kentucky and Tennessee rank as the best in the US. Thanks to a wet and mild spring/summer farmers are staying positive for a bumper crop to recoup 201...

It seems as though we are literally just scratching the surface when making strides recovering from Drought 2012. The latest drought monitor shows us in the clear from a classified drought but long term problem runs deeper. As of February 13, 2013, 2,333 primary counties within the United States were designated for 2012 Crop Disaster Losses through the USDA with another 423 contiguous counties following last year's historic drought. New research was released this week from the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources It showed the soils of the Midwest that suffered exceptional drought may take up to two years to fully recover.   At the Paducah National Weather Service, January precipitation was well above normal and ended up being the wettest on record. Much of the Midwest has also seen an uptick in frequency of precipitation but Randall Miles (MU Soil Science Associate Professor) says, "What we may be sinking into the soil now may not get down to the, l...