It happens every five to ten years in California. The most recent one started in 2011-2012. We did not get any rain. And people continued to use water. We expected an El Nino in 2015. An El Nino is when warm water flows and mixes with cold water creating high pressure systems in the western Pacific and low pressure systems (that is what causes storms and rain) in the eastern Pacific (us in California). I am not a climatologist so that is the best explanation I know how to give.
Now, this is not an article about how terrible life is in California. Droughts happen here. They have been for the last hundred years (since they started recording them). I have already been through several. What this article is about is how great it is when they end. And this one, almost right on schedule, is ending.
As I have been reading Steemit posts, I noticed a lot of people add photos of their day-today life. And I love those posts. I do not do that because I do not think my day-to-day life is that interesting. Probably because I live in a big city like most of my readers. But life with the rain after an extended drought is anything but day-to-day so I decided to take some photos and describe how I had to change my life a bit to adapt to the rainy weather.
First off, I needed a jacket. Believe it or not, I do not have a waterproof jacket that is able to withstand thirty degree temperatures. Living in California, it seemed like a waste of closet space.
I needed to waterproof my shoes. Nothing destroys nice work shoes like rain. I do have a pair of waterproof hiking boots that I wear on Fridays and the weekends, but Monday through Thursday has been brutal on my shoes and feet.
You could imagine that if I do not own a rain jacket that I do not own an umbrella. I bought one on the first day of the storm. I thought I was getting a great deal, spending only $4.99. Well, you get what you pay for. The wind ripped it up (it was a real storm). I decided to spend $9.99 and get one of those Mary Poppins umbrellas.
Finally, I need to watch what I am doing. It is hard to believe how little attention I pay to things when it is dry. I run when it is dry. Now if I run, I need to worry about slipping or stepping in a two foot deep puddle. I also have to watch where I put my stuff. More than once, I have put my bag down unknowingly putting it is a puddle. That includes outdoor benches.
I just liked the above picture. No matter what the weather is, it is nice to see that the flag keeps waving.
References used
https://ca.water.usgs.gov/data/drought/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droughts_in_California
