Say farewell to the most saturated month of July in Gainesville’s history.
The city has seen 16.61 inches of rain in July, according to a tweet by WRUF Weather (UF), which is nearly triple the average of about 6 inches.
Since recordkeeping began in 1890, rainfall in Gainesville during the month of July has never surpassed 16.41 inches — the record set in 1909, according to National Weather Service archives.
Only 3.91 inches of rain dampened the city in July 2012, according to Florida Forest Service data.
Wednesday included a flash flood warning for central Alachua County, during which about 3.68 inches of rain drenched the city, according to The Weather Channel’s website.
But the higher levels of precipitation for this season aren’t uncommon, said Katia Matcheva, a UF weather professor.
“Although the amount of rain might be somewhat unusual, the frequency of the storms are normal,” she said.
Matcheva said that Florida is separated by distinct wet and dry seasons, and July is typically the wettest month of the wet season.
While students may be growing tired of the city’s “Rainesville” alter ego, Matcheva said attendance in her classes hasn’t seemed to be affected by the weather.
“Students are not scared of rain,” she said. “If they want to come, they come.”
A car pulls into floodwaters on Southwest First Avenue on Wednesday. The street was partially closed by police to prevent cars from stalling in deep water from Wednesday’s storms.
