I saved about a gallon of dark figs before the rain and froze them and hope to make preserves tomorrow.  Each batch of preserves I have made (4 from last year) I have used less sugar in the process.  I washed the figs, put them in a large pot, no water added and used a potato masher to mash them, on the stove eye at a heat  setting to get a slow bubbly brew going for 45 minutes while continuing to stir them and added the a cup of sugar to about 3 lbs and this way worked for me.  Concerning rain in  east TN., August had 1/10" rain, Now in the last 24 hrs,it has rained about 2" so far and most is soaking in with some creeks out of banks and a lot of water on the roads.  It is forecast to rain about another 8".  If it does, things will get interesting around here.  My green Italian figs have suddenly doubled in size since yesterday afternoon. Unless they smell like vinegar, they will be picked tomorrow and go in the pot.