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PITTSBURG —
Weather, mostly bad, was big news during 2012.
The year started off reasonably well, with a mild, dry winter that enabled area farmers to prep their fields in a timely manner and allowed ranchers some grazing grass for their cattle.
Things went downhill fast from there.
On Feb. 28, straight-line winds in excess of 100 miles per hour swept along a stretch of southern Pittsburg and heavily damaged the Econolodge motel and also damaged several buildings on the Pittsburg State University campus. A large hole was ripped in the Weede Physical Education Building roof. Several businesses on South Rouse were also damaged.
Numerous power lines on Rouse were blown down and for a time nearly 10,000 residents were without power. Several PSU buildings were also without electricity, and Via Christi Hospital had to operate on generator power for a time.
Not quite three weeks later, on March 19 and 20, heavy rains dumped well over three inches of rain on Pittsburg and Girard and flash flood warnings were issued. Several roads were blocked on March 20, including Free King Highway between Quincy Street and Centennial Drive.
Matters were made worse when a storm sewer near the corner of Homer and Quincy Streets clogged up with debris. The road was closed for a time and waters began to rise around nearby homes.
By summer, the problem was too little rain. Dry, windy weather with above normal temperatures led to drought across Kansas, including Crawford County, and in early July the county was officially declared a federal disaster area by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, making farmers eligible for disaster assistance programs.
Because of dry conditions, Crawford County Commissioners issued a burn ban to take effect July 6. It remained in effect until they voted to lift it on Sept. 7.
While county farmers had an excellent wheat harvest in 2012, the corn crop was largely burned up. Rains brought in late August by the remnants of Hurricane Isaac did help green up the soybean crop and grazing pastures.
Weather, mostly bad, was big news during 2012.
The year started off reasonably well, with a mild, dry winter that enabled area farmers to prep their fields in a timely manner and allowed ranchers some grazing grass for their cattle.
Things went downhill fast from there.
On Feb. 28, straight-line winds in excess of 100 miles per hour swept along a stretch of southern Pittsburg and heavily damaged the Econolodge motel and also damaged several buildings on the Pittsburg State University campus. A large hole was ripped in the Weede Physical Education Building roof. Several businesses on South Rouse were also damaged.
Numerous power lines on Rouse were blown down and for a time nearly 10,000 residents were without power. Several PSU buildings were also without electricity, and Via Christi Hospital had to operate on generator power for a time.
Not quite three weeks later, on March 19 and 20, heavy rains dumped well over three inches of rain on Pittsburg and Girard and flash flood warnings were issued. Several roads were blocked on March 20, including Free King Highway between Quincy Street and Centennial Drive.
Matters were made worse when a storm sewer near the corner of Homer and Quincy Streets clogged up with debris. The road was closed for a time and waters began to rise around nearby homes.
By summer, the problem was too little rain. Dry, windy weather with above normal temperatures led to drought across Kansas, including Crawford County, and in early July the county was officially declared a federal disaster area by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, making farmers eligible for disaster assistance programs.
Because of dry conditions, Crawford County Commissioners issued a burn ban to take effect July 6. It remained in effect until they voted to lift it on Sept. 7.
While county farmers had an excellent wheat harvest in 2012, the corn crop was largely burned up. Rains brought in late August by the remnants of Hurricane Isaac did help green up the soybean crop and grazing pastures.
