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South Boston received 4.59 inches of much needed rain over the past
several days, according to measurements taken at the South Boston
wastewater facility. A spokesman there explained that rainfall is
measured each morning at 7 a.m. and on Wednesday morning the Town had
gotten 0.16 inch.
But things picked up considerably as the rain fell much harder on
Wednesday and by Thursday morning another 2.85 inches had fallen. Then
on Friday morning the department measured a 0.20 inch of rain, topped
off by another 1.38 inch in Saturday's measurements.
Other areas of the county reported receiving greater amounts of
rainfall with every community experiencing a great relief as the
moisture fell.
Officials with the Forestry Department were especially happy, hoping
that the rainfall would prevent forest fires. While droughts do not
cause wildfires, they do have a significant impact on the ability to
suppress and contain fires once they start. The fires can burn longer
and be more dangerous, according to the newletter of the Virginia Farm
Bureau. The newsletter reported that just a few weeks ago the US Forest
Service reported the lowest moisture levels ever recorded in dead tree
limbs, the size of a person's arm or larger.
Farmers were also happy to see their pastures turn green again after
having virtually no rain for some six weeks and after seeing the year's
rainfall drop some 14 inches below normal.
But statewide officials warn that the rain did not come soon enough to
save crops, particularly hay and corn. And the County's ban on ourdoor
burning remains in effect until more rainfall comes.