Kansas Drought Free While Other Areas Suffer

For the first time in several years, Kansas is no longer in a drought. It may have stopped raining, but nature has left an unusual mark.

Donna Zandt says, "As soon as the rains come we're have anywhere from two or three, but this year's been exceptionally wet and a lot of mushrooms."

Giant mushrooms have sprouted all her yard, along with other pests. "More weeds and a lot more insects," Zandt says.

That's also keeping local landscaping crews busy. Mark Mattney of Tree Top Nursery says, "Our turf guys are having just a terrible time trying to stay on schedule because it rained so much the grass is growing so fast."

But all this rain has also done some good. "It's good for the plants so transplanting is good,we've had less loss probably," Matteny says.

The rain has also put local basement and foundation repair crews behind schedule. That's because last year was so dry the ground around many basements cracked and pulled away from its foundation allowing water to run down beside the house.

Danny Morrow of Kansas Basement and Foundation Repair says, "One of the main concerns is structural damage due to the basement walls being pushed inward because of the swelling clay."

Morrow says 95 percent of basements leak where the floor meets the wall. "We jackhammer out part of the floor, put in a collection device," Morrow says.

Morrow says very often homeowners can prevent water from seeping into their basements by something as simple as improving the guttering on the outside of their homes."

Despite the problems, Zandt says the rain is good for something, her garden. "It's good, you don't have to drag the hose around, or have the sprinklers going," Zandt says.

As for the mushrooms, she doesn't mind. "The kids in the neighborhood seem to enjoy them so we just let them kick them over."

Landscaping crews tell us they are behind schedule because the entire construction industry is behind, and they are the last ones on the job.

Basement repair crews are so busy they are booked through September.