MAHONING VALLEY July: a rainy month, but no broken records

Valley residents and businesses received more than $3.5 million in aid.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- It rained a bit more last month than it does during a typical July in the Mahoning Valley, but nothing like it did in July 2003.
The National Weather Service reports 4.24 inches of rain fell on the Mahoning Valley in July. The average precipitation for the area in July is 4.1 inches.
It was a year ago last month that 10.4 inches fell on the Valley, the wettest July for the area in weather history, which dates to the early 1940s. It was also the second-wettest month of any month on record in the Valley's weather history.
It rained 22 out of 31 days last month, with thunderstorms on seven days. The greatest 24-hour accumulation for the month was 1.55 inches between Friday and Saturday.
The high temperature was 85 degrees July 13 and 21, and the low temperature was 52 degrees July 24 and Thursday, according to the NWS. The mean temperature for the month was 68.7 degrees, 1.2 degrees lower than the typical July.
Staying ahead
The Valley is well ahead of the average rainfall for the year through July. Through the first seven months, 26.38 inches of rain fell on the Valley. The average is 22.33 inches.
Because of the record 10.4 inches of rain that fell in July 2003, the amount of rain for the first seven months of last year was 28.38 inches. During the first six months of the year, 2004's rainfall total was greater than the amount that fell in 2003.
NWS officials say the long-range forecast is for normal precipitation in August and September, but there is the chance for a few major rainstorms during those two months.
The official Valley precipitation count is taken by the NWS at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna.
While not as bad as July 2003, 7.03 inches of rain fell on the Valley this past May, leading to Mahoning and Columbiana counties being declared federal disaster areas.
That permitted residents in those counties with water damage to their homes to receive low-interest loans from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBA also provides loans to businesses. The interest rate on the FEMA and SBA loans are between 2 percent and 3 percent.
The deadline to apply for the loans was Monday. FEMA and the SBA will do what the agencies can to help those who received damage but failed to apply by the deadline, officials say. People can call FEMA at (800) 621-3362, and the SBA at (800) 359-2227.
Loans
By Monday's deadline, 3,273 residents in Mahoning County registered to receive assistance from FEMA, said Eugene Brezany, an agency spokesman. The agency provided $2.7 million in low-interest loans to those people, he said.
The SBA gave 16 loans to Mahoning homeowners totaling $110,600, and no loans to business owners, said Matt Young, an administration spokesman.
In Columbiana County, 309 residents applied for loans, and FEMA gave $272,000 to people there, Brezany said. The SBA provided $325,000 in loans to 23 homeowners, and $185,200 to four businesses, Young said.
In Ohio, 36,025 people in 23 counties, declared federal disaster areas by the president, applied for FEMA assistance, Brezany said. The agency provided $18.1 million in assistance to those people, he said. The SBA provided $5.55 million in loans to Ohio homeowners, and $876,000 to business owners, Young said.
skolnick@vindy.com