The die off was heading south in my direction, but we've had a very wet "monsoon" season (yes, that's what it's called) for a record rainfall this year.... about 8 inches at my place! It's greener here than I've seen it before. We actually have water in some of the arroyos.
It's a different place. Sound's very pleasant where you are though. :)
I'm about 40 miles away from the Smokey Mountains and less than a half mile from the Tennessee River. The Smokies got their name from all the water vapor that hangs over them for much of the year looking like smoke. This moist atmosphere means we have a lot less severe forest fires here than people in the far west do. It also means downed trees are replaced by new foliage quite rapidly and rot away more quickly than in the far west.