A slow-moving low-pressure system has soaked the state of Florida for nearly a week. Tampa, for example, received 1.26 inches of rain on Monday, May 18, a record for that date. In the northeastern part of the state, a blanket flood warning was issued in the middle of the week for most of the “First Coast,” according to the Florida Times-Union, because of the relentless rain. Streets in Jacksonville were inundated with an average of 4 inches of rain, and some areas reached rain-inch counts that approached double digits.
Storms were expected to continue for the rest of the week and into the Memorial Day weekend, but for the most of the state, and especially the thirsty Tampa Bay region, they were still welcomed, according to a report in The St. Petersburg Times. The rains were providing a major boost for the region’s dwindling aquifer, not to mention all of the lakes and rivers that had hit record lows. And they have put a damper on wildfires that have already consumed hundreds of thousands of acres around the state.
Some clubs and resorts did report that they have had to relocate outdoor weddings and postpone tee times because of the inclement weather. At the Don CeSar Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, there are five weddings booked and nearly a full house for the upcoming weekend, said General Manager John Sparks, but some brides will have to move their plans for beachside weddings indoors if things don’t clear up enough in time.
Meanwhile, at Renaissance Vinoy Golf Club in St. Petersburg, there are a couple of new “water hazards” on the golf course that hadn’t existed previously, but the rain was proving to be just what the greens needed, the grounds crew reported.
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