Wednesday essential water

1. Rainfall predicts COVID transmission

Bad weather keeps folks indoors. So maybe rainfall can be used to determine the effectiveness of lockdowns and social distancing measures. That’s what Ajay Shenoy and colleagues recently investigated.

Research paper here. What a shame that no one in the hydrology community thought of this first!

2. Chicago braces itself for flooded basements

Once again, rivers and canals are overflowing, basements are flooding, backyards are turning into lakes, power has gone out and roads are under water. More water — much of it polluted — is flowing into Lake Michigan, raising the lake’s level and putting Illinois’ shoreline at further risk from damaging storms.

That’s from an article in Chicago Sun Times.

Apparently Chicago has experienced its wettest May on record—for the third straight year!!

3. Drought declared in Coos County, Oregon

With forecasted water supply conditions not expected to improve, the drought is likely to have significant economic impacts on the county’s farm, forest, recreation, drinking water and natural resource sectors, according to the order.

Article in Associated Press and available here.