The Tennessee River Valley of Eastern Tennessee is a very special ecosystem, geographically categorized as a semi-tropical rainforest. The delicate balance here is such that we have always had predominately gentle weather patterns. As a child, the glorious springs and autumns brought a myriad of colors to the valley. The air in spring was sweet with blooms and the freshness of new life. In the autumn, the cool, drier air brought welcome respite from the hot, humid summer. In the winter, we had snow - you could count on it.
The years since childhood have brought to our gentle valley an ever-increasing violence in our weather system. Never would we have expected to see the tornadic storms which have become all too common in this area. Never would we have to experience the dramatic extremes of drought and flood as we have seen in the past 20 years. The rhythm of the valley seems to be breaking down, giving way beneath the pressure of ever angrier storms and violent weather from the plains.