It’s raining!

Sitting in my office Tuesday morning, a familiar, yet welcoming sound reached my ears.

For the first time since September, precipitation penetrated the dry air here in Atmore.

While it may not have been a long rain, it was needed for our part of the state. In fact, the whole state is under a burn ban. The order came down Monday by the Alabama Forestry Commission.

“Although 46 counties in North Alabama were already under the No Burn Order, it was necessary to add the remaining 21 counties in the southern part of the state because of alarming wildfire activity and continued lack of rainfall,” Gov. Robert Bentley said. “The expansion of this No Burn Order is critical to keeping our citizens safe from the threat of wildfires and reducing the chance of avoidable fires.”

Since the first of October, a total of 1,421 wildfires have occurred in Alabama destroying approximately 15,409 acres of land. Last year during this same time frame, there were only 232 wildfires burning 1,846 acres across the state.

According to the NWS, there is a 30 percent chance of rain on Sunday and Monday, which is good to see. My weather app said there is a 40 percent chance on Tuesday.

Come on rain, we need you.

Alabama is thirsty.