A record will be set Friday for most days in a row without measurable rainfall in Tucson, 91, breaking the old mark set in 1909.
The drought has led to cancellation of numerous Fourth of July fireworks displays, including the annual "A" Mountain and Tucson Electric Park festivities.
Of course, there will be plenty of illegal fireworks, and local firefighters anticipate a busy night. Let us hope none of those sparks a serious fire.
While we appear to have ample water supplies in the city for the summer, drought should prompt us to cut back on water consumption. This is no time to waste our most precious resource.
The desert heat in a normal year can kill. This year more undocumented migrants have died trying to cross Arizona than during the same time frame in previous years. A new record for dead migrants may be the most awful statistic in a record-setting year.
Our salvation is the summer monsoon season, if and when it arrives. Of course, an age-old response to drought is to pray for rain. If prayer is not part of your lifestyle, as the politically correct say, well, pray anyway. This is one summer where we need all the help we can get.
