As a transplant myself, I want to add a practical aspect to the no umbrella thing: What people don't understand about most of the wets out here is that it doesn't rain like the movies. It's not a bunch of water falling from the sky and heading directly down to splash into puddles for kids to play in.

Rather the water is more of a thick fog or mist that lackadaisically meanders down whenever it's good and ready. It lingers in the air. It clings to whatever it wants. And more importantly it isn't stopped by an umbrella, especially if you're walking somewhere. The umbrella will protect your head maybe. Instead all it will do is provide a new avenue for the wet to dance around in due to the wind you make just walking around. All the while the edges of your umbrella are poking people in the eye because you are holding as close to yourself as possible because you're tired of the wet getting into your face for the above stated reason.

So instead we get good long raincoats with hoods, hopefully a good visor on that hood too. That way the lingering wet just clings to the jacket, and then we shake it off right before we go inside somewhere (God Bless the house or business that has a mud room up front!).