In America the year of 2008 will be remembered as one of widespread flooding. From first of the year right through hurricane season it has been a wet one for many areas. While some regions still suffer from drought, others have their share of rainfall and storms. Insurance companies will screaming for a while to come as claims continue to pur in from home and business owners needing the funds to restore and rebuild from all of the damage and destruction.

Iowa comes to mind first as we remember back to the early spring months. Widespread and heavy rainfall that would not stop tired to blanket homes, businesses, and farmland under a covering of water. Cedar Rapids had some of its worst flooding to ever take place there and Iowa City did not fare much better. There were numerous people killed in these floods and many people had to register for federal assistance. Thousands were forced to evacuate at that time and recovery was slow, but response to the worst hits areas has improved somewhat since the Katrina disaster.

Tropical Storm Fay in August 2008 had plenty enough strength to wreak havoc in parts of Florida. The storm broke a fifty year old record in Melbourne, Florida by dropping at least eleven inches of rainfall in only twenty four hours. At least a couple of hundred homes there were flooded with up to four feet of water. Melbourne was by far from the only city affected and the President, George Bush, declared the entire state of Florida a disaster area on August 21st. Homes were flooded and tornadoes were reported to have added to the destruction in some areas.

The latest water filled disaster came in the form of Hurricane Ike. It was a storm said to be around six hundred miles wide and has had a terrible impact on the coastlines of Texas and Louisiana. The city of Galveston suffered flooded downtown streets, power outages, and blown out windows from the 110 mile per hour winds. Coastal surges reached at least fifteen feet in many places. Even though Ike only became a strong category two storm, he left behind no shortage of devastation.

Clean up in the Texas and Louisiana areas has only just begun and the total cost of the storm has not yet been named. It is sure to be in the millions of dollars if not billions. Everyone affected by all the flooding that has gone on so far this year will probably breathe a sigh of relief to see this year go. Who knows what the next spring season will bring, but hopefully it will not be nearly as wet as the last one.