After weeks of extremely hot, dry days, our region finally saw drops of water fall from the skies again over the last couple of weeks. The relief was welcomed with shouts of joy as our lawns looked more verdant and less like we lived in Arizona. Homeowners and lawn service contractors actually had to get their mowers out of storage to do more than just knock the weeds down. We even had some flash flood warnings with the arrival of heavy downpours.   Yet we kept hearing in the news that drought conditions in the region were worsening. Many property owners were seeing cracks in their foundations, bricks and drywall open up for the first time. A comparison of the charts and data released by the National Drought Mitigation Center (see below) reveals while select few areas of the Midwest, east central Minnesota and eastern Kentucky specifically, have moved from “Abnormally Dry” to normal, the drought has taken an even stronger stranglehold throughout the rest of the region. Areas classified as greater than “Severe” grew 16.7%, greater than “Extreme” more than tripled, and “Exceptional” grew almost 600% from mid-July to early August. How can our lawns tell us one thing but our home’s foundation tell us a completely different story?

To better understand our predicament, keep these things in mind:

• The rains we have received have been mostly of the “hit and miss” variety. One block or town is under a deluge while the next receives little or no rain at all.
• The vegetation such as grasses, shrubs and trees soak up the moisture before it can have an effect on deeper soils.
• As the summer sun is felt again immediately after the rain event, evaporation robs the soil of the moisture it needs to improve.
• Sudden bursts of moisture coming in contact with hardened, compacted soils tend to run off quickly or even compound the problem through erosion.

The only remedy to a severe drought is a series of persistent, soaking rains to replenish our soil. The best remedy for the effects of the drought on your foundation is United Dynamics! Our piering systems bypass the problem soils to reach bedrock or load-bearing strata. Our crews have the expertise and experience necessary to not only keep the foundation from settling further, but also to successfully repair the visible signs of the damage to your home or business. With dry weather patterns continuing to be forecast, the time to save your foundation is sooner rather than later. Call us at 812-282-2222 or 800-359-4471 today to schedule an appointment to get your personal drought relief started.