Posted: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:08 PM - 13,337 Readers

By: Sarah Lawson

Storms on Saturday night brought much needed rain to the city, and the unexpected weather also caused some minor damage to power lines and tree limbs.

Afternoon showers on Saturday and overnight storms into Sunday morning brought Austin a little more than an inch and a half of rain. The weekend treat quenched dry ground and temporarily filled dry creeks.

A tree fell outside the Alpha Xi Delta sorority house located on Rio Grande Street, knocking down a power line and blocking residents into the parking lot.

“I was sitting in the house when the tree fell,” said undeclared freshman and sorority Jamie-Ann Dewoody. “It sounded as if the tree was falling on the house because of how loud it was. I’m just glad nobody was here and that only one car got dented because it could have been really bad.”

With such sparse rainfall this year, the showers left some reminiscing about the regular rainfall Central Texas saw before the current drought started almost a year ago.

“I love rain and thunderstorms. They remind me of the good times,” said biomedical engineering freshman Daniyal Malik.

Engineering freshman Peter Hartley said that except for a few sprinkles earlier in the semester, he still hasn’t had the experience of walking to classes in the rain at UT.

Though those who have had the experience might think of walking to and from classes as a nuisance, Hartley and his friend, computer science freshman Cameron Hooper, said one of the state’s worst droughts on record has changed things.

When they stepped outside and saw the cloud cover Saturday afternoon, they said they were joking about chances of rain on their way to eat lunch.

“Once we got back to the room and looked out the window, it was already pouring,” Hooper said.

He said after months without any serious rain, a wet walk outside could have been refreshing.

“I almost wished I had somewhere to be just so I could have walked through it,” Hooper said.
Hartley and Hooper said they hope they have their first real opportunity to get to class in the rain sometime soon.

“I’d love for there to be more rain. We need it,” Hartley said. “I’m not expecting it, but I’m hoping.”

According to the National Weather Service, a slight, 20 percent chance of rain will remain for Central Texas until late Monday. The overnight low temperature for Monday will be 64 degrees, and Tuesday’s high temperature will be in the lower 80s.

*  Story Contributed by: Sarah Lawson