Drought over? We'll believe it when we see it

Four days of rain in a row, such as McCook experienced this week, must prove that the drought is over, right?

Not necessarily, according to the records.

Yes, we've received 16.39 inches of rain so far this year -- 6.92 inches ahead of last year at this time in McCook, and we're 3.79 inches ahead of normal for the month of July -- statistically the wettest month of the year.

But if you're among the more experienced among us, you may remember the "Dirty Thirties." And, if you lived anywhere near Southwest Nebraska, you may remember that half-way through the drought and depression, in 1935, the Republican River flooded.

That sort of "spike" in precipitation may be what's going on in the middle of what could be a continuation of the six-year drought we've been experiencing, according to Jim Goeke, hydrogeologist for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln at the West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte.

If you read his news release in Friday's edition, you'll know that he admits we have received a great deal of rain -- which has found a home in Southwest Nebraska reservoirs, which have been drained by the weather and Kansas' lawyers.

And it may be hard to convince readers to the west and north of McCook that we haven't had enough rain for a while -- they'll be repairing roads for months or years into the future from this spring's flash flooding.

But the Republican River isn't the only stressed river in the state, and as a North Platte resident, Goeke said he won't be convinced the drought is over until Lake McConaughy up the river that bears the same name, is full again.

So whatever you're doing to make it rain, keep it up. Whether's it's a rain dance, washing your car or hanging laundry out to dry, it seems to be working for now.

Like Mr. Goeke, we'll believe Western Nebraska's out of the drought when we see Big Mac brimming full.