Wet Weather on Both Coasts

The East Coast led off the week with a wind swept mess that took at least five lives.

Almost five inches of rain fell on the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts to Maine. At Cape Neddick, Maine wind blew high waves into structures along the shore. Emergency workers were sent out in the elements to clear roadways of downed power lines and other debris.

More than 30,000 were without electricity in the impacted area as trees fell on power lines. Wind gusts topped 60 miles per hour along the Atlantic shoreline as flood warnings were issued for sections of Pennsylvania and New York City.

On the other side of the country, California is experiencing rain and bracing for more this weekend.  Flood warnings have been issued from San Diego to the Central Coast region. Flooding and mudslides are expected from the Pacific storm as millions prepare to travel for the holidays. 

Despite all the rain, a lack of moisture remains a problem in the non-coastal areas of the country. Much of the nation’s midsection is locked in extreme and exceptional categories of drought.  More than 50 percent of the U.S. has been suffering in some form of drought since mid-July.

Many of the same areas are also low on snow. The latest snapshot reveals depths well below average in North Dakota and Minnesota. The mountain west also is seeing limited snow cover as is a stretch from Virginia to the Great Lakes.

For Market to Market, I’m John Torpy.