For almost two days, we've been sitting in front of our TV, watching the progress of Irene up the East Coast of the US. This storm frightens me, not because of her winds, but because of the rain.
We are in Northern Vermont, not too far from the Canadian Border. Most of the land around us is farmland, mainly corn for silage in the winter. There's some sweet corn up here, some soybean, some alfalfa, but mainly corn. This is the primary way that the dairy farmers, which Vermont is known for, can feed their cows during the long Vermont winter. Without those fields of corn, the farmers have to purchase.
This year's crop was already damaged before it was even planted. This spring, prior to the "planting time" we got rain...lots and lots of rain. So much so that any low-lying cornfield couldn't be planted until it stopped. Some of the farmers know their crop is probably doomed. It won't be ready for the fall harvest. Up here, we have a finite planting season. We have a long winter that can begin at the end of October, and can end in May.
Now, these farmers are looking at anywhere between 6 and 10 inches of rain coming at us. That will flood their fields, and probably further damage an "iffy" crop.
Then add the damage of rain-soaked ground. We live in a house surrounded by a one acre yard (most of the yard is circular, closer to house at the sides than at the front and back). The more the rain falls, the softer the ground gets, then the trees begin to uproot. We had one do this in our yard in the spring. Luckily it didn't fall, it just began leaning, and was losing the fight. It fell sideways about 10 feet the afternoon before the tree guys showed up to take it down.
Now, I'm afraid that the same thing will happen today, because this rain today will be equal to what would have fallen in a week this spring. It is now 12:30 in the afternoon, and we've gotten about 2-1/2 inches of rain and it doesn't look like its going to slow down any time soon. We've done everything we can, but it is impossible to predict what Mother Nature is about to throw at Northern Vermont. If the back end of this storm drops the expected 7" of rain on us, added onto what is falling now, it will be devastating here. I hate feeling helpless in the face of weather.
