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Great splash at Ledges rapid, a class III rapid on the French Broad River

This past May was one the wettest in history.  Check out this article from the Asheville Citizen-Times www.citizen-times.com

Asheville sets monthly rainfall record for May

Sabian Warren

Updated June 02. 2009 8:29AM

May certainly seemed like a soggy month in the Asheville area. And now it’s official.

Last month turned out to be the wettest May on record in Asheville, with more than 9 inches of rain.

The city recorded 9.18 inches of rain at Asheville Regional Airport, surpassing the old record of 8.83 inches set in 1973, according to the National Weather Service.

“Last Thursday, we got over an inch of rain. That’s what put it over the top,” said Doug Outlaw, a Weather Service meteorologist.

The Weather Service has records for Asheville dating back to 1903. Asheville saw 20 days during May with measurable rainfall, Outlaw said.

“It was just a very wet pattern,” he said. “I can’t remember a month with that many days of measurable rain in the Asheville area.”

The persistent showers also translated into record rainfall on Grandfather Mountain. A year ago, Grandfather Mountain had its seventh driest May ever.This year, a rainfall total of 13.59 inches, recorded at the official U.S. Weather Service reporting station located next to Grandfather Mountain’s Mile High Swinging Bridge, makes this May the wettest ever.The May total smashed the previous record of 9.76 inches set in 1976.

Plentiful May rain moved Asheville from a deficit for 2009 to a small surplus. January, February and March all had been drier than normal, with the April total close to average. May rainfall was nearly 6 inches above the normal of 3.52 inches.

“May made up for the deficit and then some,” Outlaw said.

So far for 2009, Asheville has recorded 21.09 inches of rain, which is 0.66 inches above normal.

The French Broad River has plenty of  water. Come and join us on the river.

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