Last summer, we saw a pair of extremes across the state of Iowa: drought and flooding. Water levels in Clarke County got particularly low, until fall rains started to correct their course.
The first snowfall of 2018 brought 16 inches of snow to Osceola, and so far spring has been wet all across the county, and so far that's adding up to good news for firefighters.
"We were so dry last year that we were dealing with poor crop turnout, so for the farmers it's kind of a double-edged sword," said Byron Jimmerson, Clarke County's Emergency Management Coordinator.
This firefighting equipment in Osceola hasn't been used nearly as often this spring as it has in years past.
"We went from winter directly to a nice green spring without much transition time this year, so that kept our trucks in the station," said Jimmerson, who is also the fire chief for Osceola.