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Stormy weather’s a way of life for Ags
During the winter, precipitation
occurs mainly when a cold front
and a warm front meet.
Griffiths said rain falls around
Bryan-College Station on a fairly
regular basis, but if it had to be nar
rowed down to the two wettest
months, they would be May and
September. He said that Sep
tember could be an excessively
wet month if a hurricane is in the
gulf, but normally May has more
rainfall.
Rainfall this year has been good
By RHONDA WATTERS
Battalion Staff
Somethings in life are inevitable
— like death, taxes, Monday
mornings-and rain in Bryan-
College Station.
John Griffiths, who works for the
State Climatology office at Texas
A&M University, said rainfall is up
15 percent this year from the aver
age for this area. Normally,
Bryan-College Station averages 39
inches a year. Already this year the
rainfall is up to about 45 inches.
Although Aggies may think Col
lege Station has more rain than
almost anywhere else in Texas,
this is not true. Rainfall totals in this
area are in between the totals for
West Texas and East Texas, right
where they should be, Griffiths
said. As one moves farther east in
Texas, rainfall increases, with East
Texas having by far the most
amount of rain.
Griffiths said rain in this area has
two sources.
In summer, precipitation is
caused by moist air flowing off the
Gulf of Mexico. As the air moves
over the warm land, it rises, caus
ing it to condense.
Between June 27-July 1,1899, a
storm centered over the Brazos
River watershed dropped an aver
age of 17 inches of rain over an
area of 7,000 square miles. In
Hearne, gauges overflowed at 24
inches and rain estimates were as
high as 30 inches. This rain caused
the worst flood of the Brazos River
in Texas history. Between 30 and
35 lives were lost and property
damage estimates were about $9
million.
In December 1913, a severe
rainstorm caused the second major
Brazos River Flood. Although the
storm, which formed over Central
Texas and spread both southwest
and notheast, had its worst flood
ing outside of Brazos County,
damage in the area was still exten
sive. Overall, 177 lives were lost
and there was about $8.5 million
worth of damage.
Texas holds the record for the
greatest amount of rainfall in
United States history during a con
secutive 18-hour period. On Sept.
9, 1921, 36.4 inches of rain fell on
Thrall in Williamson County.
for the crops, Griffiths said. “Cotton
is this area is doing extremely
well.”
The National Weather Service in
Houston said the month of
November should have rainfall ex
ceeding the medium amounts and
temperatures should be above av
erage. However through January,
there will be normal rainfall, with
temperatures turning colder.
Looking back into the history of
Brazos County, rain has been re
sponsible for taking the lives of
over 100 people.
Trying to stay dry is hard to do — if you need to get to
class
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focus
THE BATTALION
Focus is published every Thursday as an
entertainment section of The Battalion.
Policy: Focus will accept any stories, drawings or
photographs that are submitted for publication, al
though the decision to publish lies solely with the
editor. Pieces submitted, printed or not, will be re
turned upon request. Deadline is 5 p.m. the
Thursday before publication.
Contributing to this issue were: Lee Roy Les-
chper Jr., Lynn Blanco, Keith Taylor, Louie Arthur
and Rhonda Watters.
Editor: Beth Calhoun
Assistant Editor: Doug Graham
On the Cover: Bull riding is one of the most
dangerous yet exciting events in a rodeo. This bull
seems determined to unseat his rider, a participant
in the All-Aggie Rodeo which was last Friday and
Saturday nights. For a ring-side look at the rodeo,
please turn to page 7. Photo by Lee Roy Leschper
Jr.