Pouring rain on a Sunday was not ideal for any pumpkin patch owner in the midst of October.
But Jeffrey Fox, the co-owner of the Fruit and Berry Patch in North Knox County, said he was staying positive. He said Sunday was a day he’d normally be busy, and even with the rain he still got a few customers.
“People are coming, and it’s just been exciting to sit back and watch,” Fox said. “And you know, it’s kind of nice to use a rocking chair. I don’t get to use it very often.”
Although the rain comes at a bad time for Fox, it comes at a good time for Mother Nature.
10News meteorologists Todd Howell and Cassie Nall said we haven’t had measurable rainfall for almost three weeks.
“Absolutely, we desperately needed the rain,” Howell said.
Later in the day, rainfall totals surpassed the daily record rainfall. In 1960, the record was 1.64 inches. As of 9 p.m. Sunday, we saw about two inches of rain.
“It’s our driest month of the year on average, right around two-and-a-half inches,” Howell said.
“We realistically could see almost a month’s worth of rainfall in one day thanks to Tropical Depression Nate,” Nall said.
Back at the Fruit and Berry Patch, Fox said he agrees that the rainfall was much needed.
“It was starting to become a dust bowl out here,” Fox said.
He hopes the rain will make the next few weekends nicer.
“We still might have a wonderful, pretty fall,” Fox said. “And that will bring a lot of tourists to East Tennessee. And that’s a win-win situation for everyone here.”