Tropical moisture game

Where’s all the tropical moisture gone?

In a word: Atlanta.



The “record-setting” – or rather, historic – torrential rains rose up from the topics into a mid-latitude low … and then stalled.

The result was upwards of 20 inches in spots and a wide multi-state swath of 8-10 inches over a two week period. All that rain had no place to go, causing flooding outside traditional flood plains, over running sewage plants, and churning waters brown.



Not only is the two-year drought is a distant memory, it’s a nostalgic one at that:

Water restrictions almost seem benign in comparison.



How does south Florida compare?

The conventional wisdom is that south Florida needs tropical moisture in early Fall to make its wet season complete.

Despite the lack of those storms, it’s been a very soggy September throughout much of south Florida’s western corner (in Collier County).


Picayune Forest has topped the charts with upwards of 12 inches so far for the month, and, for the first time all summer, waters have risen over the spillway at Henderson Creek (see post below).

That’s about the best indicator in western Collier County that “peak water” season has arrived.

(When I stopped to take a photo I was also told its good fishing!)


Other parts of south Florida have been dry in comparison.

September rains have been scarce across much of the east coast (from Jacksonville to Vero), and Lake Okeechobee, poised early in the year for a year of big releases, has held steady a few inches below 15 ft.

It’s only recorded 4 inches for the month.

Tropical moisture has a way of making winners and losers in the fall weather "game."

It’s just as hard to tell which is which.