Tropical Storm Debby brought flooding and destruction to the southern United States, resulting in an estimated $1.4 billion in damages.
While this is no doubt awful news for the homes and businesses affected, there was at least a silver lining to the dark cloud in Tampa Bay, Florida.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Debby helped replenish the city's water supply. About a month's worth of rain hit Tampa in the space of a few days, restoring the city's drinking water to a much healthier level.
Brandon Moore, communications manager for Tampa Bay Water, told the Times that Debby brought two billion gallons of water, with the regional reservoir being bolstered to five billion gallons in total to bring it to a third full.
Of course, this suggests that there is still a way to go before the reservoir is fully restored to optimum levels, but Moore was at least encouraged.
"Every drop saved means more water to store for our next dry season," he said.
However, Tampa remains in a Stage 1 Drought Alert because of shortages over the summer, with the Times reporting rainfall and river flow were three inches below normal levels at the start of August.
Measures such as watering schedules have been put in place to stop the overconsumption of water, restricting households from using lawn sprinklers more than once a week.
If residents want to keep their gardens looking healthy with periods of drought becoming more intense and long-lasting, xeriscaping might be worthwhile to consider. A garden of slow-growing, drought-tolerant plants, in addition to stones and gravel, can survive these extreme conditions and doesn't require as much water to look lush and vibrant.
Gardeners could also consider water rainwater harvesting to avoid the need to use clean, safe drinking water for spraying plants and grass. In addition to saving valuable resources for the wider community, you can also cut your utility bills by doing so.
Extreme weather conditions are exacerbated by rising temperatures. While the flooding from Debby ended up being a benefit for the city's water supplies, having wild boom and bust cycles of drought and water deluge is not sustainable, and the damage caused by both can be severe.
That's why it's so important to do what we can to reduce the production of planet-warming pollution. Sharing methods with friends and family, such as ditching gas-guzzling cars and accessing renewable energy, can increase that impact and make our communities safer — and even keep more dollars in your pocket.
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