Gutters, Part III (Or, I Believe Al Gore)

In defense of my Dad and the fact that he took time out of his Saturday to come and fix my gutters, let me say that even if Dad had gold-leafed my gutters, I don't think they would have held back the rain last night.

The volume was so heavy, I think gutters everywhere were overwhelmed and mine were no exception. (I feel sorry for the house at the end of the alley; I'm sure it's basement was flooded. At one point, I think we could have gone white water kayaking down my alley, that's how deep and swift the water was running.)

Water poured over repeatedly and heavily as the storm moved through in wave after wave of assaults that rarely saw a lull.

The battery of rain--can you even call it rain? Rain is gentle, soothing. This was unlike anything I've ever experienced and rain seems too benign a word--finally ended at 4:00 a.m., having begun more than seven hours earlier.

According to forecasters, we're going to continue to have storms like this through the remainder of the week.

Meanwhile, in the midwest, a drought is setting in and in California and other parts of the west, dry conditions are sparking wildfires earlier and hotter than normal.

...

I know there are folks out there who think global warming and green house gas emissions are hooey. Many of these same folks think signing the Kyoto Agreement will hurt American business. And I know there are a lot of folks who think Al Gore is scarier than George W. Bush.

But I believe Al Gore. And I believe him when he says that scientists predict, if we don't do something about how we treat and care for the earth in the next 10 years, there will be no turning back.

...

The Day After Tomorrow may seem like a campy, fantastical film with a campy, fantastical doom's day scenario that seems as if it couldn't possibly happen, but I'm starting to wonder.


Graphic courtesy of The Weather Channel.