Rain Wipes Out Southern Produce

Heavy rains across the Deep South this summer have replaced the usual hot summer sun, leading to ruined crops in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. While the national rainfall is just 6 percent above average this year, Georgia’s is up 34 percent; the Carolinas, up 25 percent; and Alabama, 22 percent. All the rainfall has drowned tobacco plants and swollen produce like watermelons, peaches, and tomatoes to the point where they either split open or, diluted by water, don’t have any flavor.