By Tate Luckey
May is the start of a whirlwind of events in Louisville. It kicks things off with the Derby, all the students graduate about a week later, and then, while waiting for the next Waterfront Wednesday Act, locals are reminded of the suffocating pollen levels and record heat.
And yes, I mean record heat. Earth recorded its hottest year on record in 2024, in some places climbing as high as 1.5 degrees higher than average. That August brought Louisville its hottest day in 12 years – a scorching 102 degrees.
April’s rainfall led to record-high Ohio and Kentucky River cresting, flooding downtown streets, and (for the first time in my 22 years of life) eventually forcing the cancellation of Thunder Over Louisville.