Could issues be new normal?

As local government officials work to figure out solutions to flooding problems, some uncomfortable questions loom out there: What if this extreme weather is the result of climate change? What if this is the new normal?
Two major floods hit Jay County in the 1950s, one in 1957 and one in 1959. After the Salamonie River was dredged and channeled by the Army Corps of Engineers, the frequency and intensity of flooding — especially in Portland — decreased.
The next big flood of note was in June of 1989, which reached what many believed to be “100-year-flood” levels. That seemed about right, since four decades had passed since the last round of big floods.
But now we seem to be in a new era, and it’s hard to know what to make of it.
The 2011 February flood came after a combination of heavy snow, quick melting and heavy rain combined to create a new “100-year-flood” level, just 22 years after the last one.
Then, last year, Dunkirk struggled to cope with another weather anomaly: 10 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. And that rain had nowhere to go. Dunkirk’s not in a flood plain and isn’t close to rivers that could carry the water away. It was a mess and a headache that’s not easily forgotten.
And now the county has received rainfall rivaling its usual total for an entire year in just six weeks.
Every time thunderclouds roll in, folks are going to be anxious for the rest of the summer.
Is another one on its way? Or have we had our share?
If conditions revert to normal, there’s a chance that the flood control efforts being pursued by local officials may make a difference.
But if this is the new normal, all bets are off. We’re hoping that normal weather patterns will reassert themselves in the weeks and months ahead, but like the rest of Jay County, we’ll be keeping an eye on the skies. — J.R.