Monday, March 15, 2010
Random puzzlement
Why are flood indications always given in such a clumsy form?
"The Big Blue has crested at 45.9 feet. Flood stage is 41.2 feet."
We don't do this with rain. We don't say "Wauwatosa's rain level is 1409 feet 8 inches, with a base altitude of 1409 feet 6 inches." We simply say "Wauwatosa got 2 inches of rain."
So why not simply say "The Big Blue is 4.7 feet above flood stage." ¶ 11:02 AM
"The Big Blue has crested at 45.9 feet. Flood stage is 41.2 feet."
We don't do this with rain. We don't say "Wauwatosa's rain level is 1409 feet 8 inches, with a base altitude of 1409 feet 6 inches." We simply say "Wauwatosa got 2 inches of rain."
So why not simply say "The Big Blue is 4.7 feet above flood stage." ¶ 11:02 AM
