It appears the rainfall trend has continued from the summer months into September, as the region has already exceeded average rainfall just 18 days in. "We turned away a lot of people because they had no previous canoe or kayak experience." "This area being a family-style recreational river, more for relaxation and checking out the scenery and taking in a nice casual day up there, it does hurt us," Sweeney said. Sweeney explained Chamberlain Canoes follows National Park Service recommendations when making decisions about water levels and the water was too high during most of August. With the rain, temperatures never came up and I would say August was about 50 percent of what we normally do.Įven if the rain itself did not drive clients away, there were many times this summer Sweeney found himself turning away potential clients because the rivers were too dangerous. "Usually, we have good temperatures and the water temperature is up into the mid 80s, just great for being out on the river. For Sweeney, the month of August was particularly difficult. For Sweeney, who has been in the business for more than 30 years, the rain and water levels combined to make this one of the worst summers in memory. While the region has been spared from flooding, rivers and waterways still experienced increased water levels. The increased amount of moisture is caused by a deep, tropical flow of air coming from the Pacific Ocean - which Gelber said is unusual. Gelber explained that higher than average rain in early summer months can lead to wet and muggy summers like the one residents just experienced. In total, the Stroudsburg region received 19.26 inches of rainfall this summer. We're no longer talking top-10, we're getting into the highest percentile," Gelber said. "We have records that go back to 1911 and this is the third wettest August on record. 2018 the only years with more rainfall were 2011 when 13.97 inches fell and 1955 where rainfall exceeded 15 inches. Rainfall totals exceeded averages every month this summer and were more than double the average during August.Ī total of 10.07 inches of rain fell during Aug. "Everybody that is in the rental business was severely impacted by the higher than average water levels."Īccording to Ben Gelber, meteorologist, summer 2018 was the rainiest summer in state history and the sixth rainiest for the Stroudsburg region. Especially, July and August," said Brad Sweeney, manager of Chamberlain Canoes. "We were severely impacted by the higher water levels this year. While rushing waters and rapids may sound like a thrill seekers' dream, the increased precipitation has produced one of the worst summers in memory for river rental companies. (AP) - With rainfall totals 50 percent higher than average, the region endured one of the wettest summers in history during 2018.
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