As everyone knows, 2020 has not been the extravagant year we all expected or hoped for. In truth, it's been a very bumpy downhill fall. We'll reach the halfway point in July, but so much has already occurred.
In January, Australia went under a state of emergency due to the bush fires blazing across the continent. Donald Trump nearly started WWIII with Iran (the draft memes were hilarious, but it was still a very uncertain time). COVID-19 broke out in China and merely a few days later, they already had their first death. Trump's impeachment trials began. Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and seven other passengers died in a helicopter crash. What a way to start off the new year.
Trump became the third president to be impeached, but then acquitted by the Senate in February. Harvey Weinstein was also found guilty of third degree rape and first degree criminal sexual act the same month.
March is when the coronavirus took full effect, spreading across the world. Italy was the first country to go into lock down. The virus was declared a pandemic on the 11th by the WHO and continuously worsened over the month, more cases rising. Schools, parks, certain businesses that are not considered essential closed and unemployment skyrocketed.
In April, the number of COVID-19 infected cases reached over one million and New York had the highest cases in the entire world. Bernie Sanders dropped out of the presidential race. The Pentagon also officially released UFO videos. There are many more significant events that occurred from January to April, so I would recommend checking out this article from Insider.
May brought the murder hornets and towards the end of the month, a series of police brutality, the murder of George Floyd marking the boiling point, sparked protests for the Black Lives Matter movement. Protests have been continuing throughout the beginning of June in every single state in the United States and nationwide.
So, with an already jam packed 5 months, what can we expect for the rest of June and this summer? Can this year get any worse or are things looking up? Start placing your bets! Here's my predictions.
An Increase Of COVID-19 Cases
With the protests, social distancing practices have flown out of the window as hordes of people clump together in areas. This type of close contact can create another surge of coronavirus cases. Wearing masks can only do so much and should not be considered a bullet proof vest. It may lower your chances of getting the virus, but not by much. The best way to prevent your chances of not catching the virus is to stay away from others. Now, I am in no way saying people shouldn't be protesting or that I'm against it. I commend those who are out there, using their voice, and are brave to stay out in the front lines. Keep on protesting! This is just food for thought. I sincerely hope that this virus calms down during the summer with the humid temperatures. I refuse to do another round of online classes.
The Rise of 17 Year Old Cicadas
This summer, billions of 17 year old cicadas will be resurfacing and invading parts of the southwest: Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Though they are harmless to humans, they will be coming in swarms and creating symphonies of noise. However, their large amount of egg laying will cause damage to young trees and vines. Thankfully, the cicadas have a predictable cycle, giving farmers enough time to prepare. The cicadas are weak on their own, predators easily getting a hold of them as the cicadas wait for their wings to dry after shedding their exoskeleton, but are strong in numbers. According to Doug Pfeiffer, a professor of entomology at Virginia Tech, "Predators can't make a dent in the population." Still, the adults only live for a couple of days after the eggs are laid, so people will only have to endure a noise filled day for a short period of time.
Hurricane Season
The Atlantic hurricane season is starting up (June 1 to November 30) and it has been predicted by the NOAA's Climate Prediction Center that this year's season will be above-normal. They speculated that there will be 13 to 19 named storms and 6 to 10 of them can become hurricanes. Out of those hurricanes, 3 to 6 of them could be major. These numbers are higher than what has been seen in recent years. The average amount of named storms is 12, 6 becoming hurricanes, and 3 being major ones. With all the craziness of COVID-19 and planning to reopen the U.S., it is still important to think about how to prepare for these storms.
With how this year has been going so far, the future can seem unpredictable and frightening. Things could lessen down and this year could turn around for the better or these events have been leading up to the apocalypse. Right now, we can only hope that in the end everything will be okay. I know some people are ready to kiss 2020 goodbye and have everything that has happened be behind them. You just have to hold out a bit longer. Stay safe, everyone!
