INSIDER
How dry weather in Houston area is impacting area farms
Read full article: How dry weather in Houston area is impacting area farmsIt's been 27 days without rain and 45 days without a significant amount (.25+) of rain. So what does that mean for you and your family? Especially when it comes to produce. Will it cost you more? And how much?
A West Texas ranch and resort will limit water to residents amid fears its wells will run dry
Read full article: A West Texas ranch and resort will limit water to residents amid fears its wells will run dryResidents at the sprawling Terlingua Ranch near Big Bend National Park will limit residents to 1,000 gallons of nondrinking water per month.
Unchecked growth around Big Bend sparks debate over water — a prelude for Texas
Read full article: Unchecked growth around Big Bend sparks debate over water — a prelude for TexasNo one knows how much water sits beneath the desert of Terlingua. Residents worry their wells will run dry, as developers and local officials cheer the tourism boom.
South Texas farmers are in peril as the Rio Grande Valley runs dry — again
Read full article: South Texas farmers are in peril as the Rio Grande Valley runs dry — againWith the hottest days still ahead, local leaders have declared emergencies. And farmers are lobbying for the U.S. government to pressure Mexico to release water.
Lots of rain for Houston this week: Did it make a dent in our drought?
Read full article: Lots of rain for Houston this week: Did it make a dent in our drought?With most of the area seeing at least a half a foot of rain and in some cases, more than a foot(!), it begs the question: Did all this heavy rain improve our current drought status?
This week’s rainfall may help with drought conditions across southeast Texas
Read full article: This week’s rainfall may help with drought conditions across southeast TexasWhile the rainfall we are seeing this week in southeast Texas is most welcome, many areas are still dealing with drought conditions.
Rain in the Houston area amid drought conditions☔: Photos, videos you captured of the best weather of the summer
Read full article: Rain in the Houston area amid drought conditions☔: Photos, videos you captured of the best weather of the summerRain is popping up on Monday across the Houston area this Labor Day.
What you need to know about Houston’s water restriction enforcement
Read full article: What you need to know about Houston’s water restriction enforcementIt is so dry that starting this Sunday, Aug. 27, Houstonians will be forced to limit using water outside at certain times and breaking those rules could cost you.
City of Houston to enforce Stage 2 water restrictions Monday. Here’s what you need to know
Read full article: City of Houston to enforce Stage 2 water restrictions Monday. Here’s what you need to knowThe city of Houston announced they will be entering stage two of the Drought Contingency Plan, which will go into effective on Monday.
City of Houston bringing in more contractors to help with water leaks
Read full article: City of Houston bringing in more contractors to help with water leaksWater system problems are continuing to overflow in Houston. Drought conditions are leading to hundreds of reports of broken water pipes and mandatory water restrictions.
Worst drought for Southeast Texas since 2011
Read full article: Worst drought for Southeast Texas since 2011While not as bad statewide as in 2011, Southeast Texas is bone dry and getting worse. The year 2011 is the benchmark for Texas drought. By the end of October, 94% of the state was in an extreme drought, and 78% was in an exceptional drought.
Unprecedented streaks of Houston’s heat and drought: By the extraordinary numbers
Read full article: Unprecedented streaks of Houston’s heat and drought: By the extraordinary numbersIt’s hot and dry. You know this, right? But here’s what you might not know about the current conditions, by the wild numbers represented in below.
City of Houston attributes increasing water leaks to several factors, including ongoing drought
Read full article: City of Houston attributes increasing water leaks to several factors, including ongoing droughtFresh water has been streaming down Colquitt Street in the Montrose area for roughly three weeks, according to people who live in the area.
LIST: Several cities in Houston area ask residents, businesses to limit water usage to avoid shortage during drought
Read full article: LIST: Several cities in Houston area ask residents, businesses to limit water usage to avoid shortage during droughtMultiple cities around the Greater Houston area have placed water restrictions on residents and businesses as the drought conditions continue.
After historic drought, lawmakers agree on billion-dollar plan to expand water supplies, fix infrastructure
Read full article: After historic drought, lawmakers agree on billion-dollar plan to expand water supplies, fix infrastructureFollowing one of the hottest summers on record, lawmakers have set an ambitious target: By 2033, they want to bump up the state’s water supply by an amount equal to three of the largest reservoirs in the state.
Texas ag agency says climate change threatens state’s food supply
Read full article: Texas ag agency says climate change threatens state’s food supplyA new Texas Department of Agriculture report also points to other factors that are making it harder for Texans to access and afford food, including wages falling behind rising costs of living.
Watch: Panhandle cotton farmers, rural economies struggle under “exceptional” drought conditions
Read full article: Watch: Panhandle cotton farmers, rural economies struggle under “exceptional” drought conditions“A year like this, where everything is disaster, is just, I’d say, devastating,” cotton farmer Steven Walker said.
Harris County Commissioners Court approves outdoor burn ban due to continuous drought conditions in area
Read full article: Harris County Commissioners Court approves outdoor burn ban due to continuous drought conditions in areaThe Harris County Commissioner’s Court approved an outdoor burn ban on Tuesday due to continuous drought conditions in the area.
WATCH LIVE ON KPRC 2+: Tropical Storm Karl strengthening in Gulf of Mexico; will it bring much-needed rain to SE Texas?
Read full article: WATCH LIVE ON KPRC 2+: Tropical Storm Karl strengthening in Gulf of Mexico; will it bring much-needed rain to SE Texas?KPRC 2 Meteorologist Caroline Brown updates the track of Tropical Storm Karl and its potential impact on drought conditions in Texas
To save water in Texas, these nonprofits are paying farmers to leave it in reservoirs
Read full article: To save water in Texas, these nonprofits are paying farmers to leave it in reservoirsAs Texas continues to battle drought, groups are trying a market-based solution to help farmers and protect what little water is left.
Hemp was supposed to save Texas farmers during a drought. It hasn’t yet.
Read full article: Hemp was supposed to save Texas farmers during a drought. It hasn’t yet.Hemp advocates promised the Texas Legislature the crop was drought resistant. The 2022 drought has proven otherwise. And farmers are abandoning the nascent market.
Texas’ cotton industry is facing its worst harvest in years — costing the state more than $2 billion
Read full article: Texas’ cotton industry is facing its worst harvest in years — costing the state more than $2 billionCotton is Texas’ largest crop, and industry experts say they expect just half the normal annual yield — which will drive up costs for consumers.
TribCast: Texas’ drought is likely to persist
Read full article: TribCast: Texas’ drought is likely to persistIn this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Jayme about how this week’s rain likely won’t mean the end of the drought. And he speaks with Eric about the soon-to-be-over congressional career of Louie Gohmert.
Wetter weather is coming this weekend. But it won’t be enough to end Texas’ drought.
Read full article: Wetter weather is coming this weekend. But it won’t be enough to end Texas’ drought.Rain is in the forecast across much of the state. But it won’t be enough to reverse the drought that has gripped Texas since last fall.
PHOTO: Really brown view from space shows just how drought conditions are affecting the Houston area
Read full article: PHOTO: Really brown view from space shows just how drought conditions are affecting the Houston areaA view from space shared by the National Weather Service is showing just how much drought conditions are affecting the Houston area.
Homeless Texans left with few places to cool off during record heat
Read full article: Homeless Texans left with few places to cool off during record heatHeat-related emergency calls have spiked amid historic heat. Cooling centers are available in major cities but often close in the late afternoon — during the hottest parts of the day.
Houston home foundation repair company sees uptick in business amid drought conditions
Read full article: Houston home foundation repair company sees uptick in business amid drought conditionsDrought conditions in the Houston area are bringing more business to a longtime foundation improvement company.
West Texas farmers and ranchers fear the worst as drought, heat near 2011 records
Read full article: West Texas farmers and ranchers fear the worst as drought, heat near 2011 records2011 was the driest year on record for Texas, causing an estimated cost of $7.62 billion in crop and livestock losses. A dry and hot June has many sounding alarm bells about 2022.
Texas drought strengthens its grip, triggering wildfires, water restrictions and crop disasters
Read full article: Texas drought strengthens its grip, triggering wildfires, water restrictions and crop disastersHundreds of wildfires have broken out this spring. More than a dozen areas are under voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions, and more than 200 Texas counties have been designated as crop disaster areas.
Wildfire risk remains high for much of Texas in the days ahead, fire officials say
Read full article: Wildfire risk remains high for much of Texas in the days ahead, fire officials sayClimate change has made the Texas heat hotter and longer-lasting, enhancing drought conditions that set the stage for intense fires. More than 40% of the state is in an extreme drought.
Watch experts in climate, energy and environmental justice discuss extreme weather at 9 a.m. at The Texas Tribune Festival
Read full article: Watch experts in climate, energy and environmental justice discuss extreme weather at 9 a.m. at The Texas Tribune FestivalThe conversation will focus on what we’ve learned about extreme weather in Texas and beyond — and what can be done about it.
These photos tell you everything you need to know about California’s drought
Read full article: These photos tell you everything you need to know about California’s droughtJust this week, a major Southern California water agency declared a water supply alert for the first time in seven years, and is asking residents to voluntarily conserve. Many of the state’s counties are already under a state of drought emergency.
Are we in for a drought?
Read full article: Are we in for a drought?We go through dry periods and, as you know, we can get soakers around here that fix a no-rain situation pretty quickly. Last Thursday’s drought monitor shows abnormally dry to severe drought conditions in SE Texas and Extreme drought in West Texas:US Drought monitor showing abnormally dry to severe drought in our areaU.S. Drought monitor showing extreme and exceptional drought in West Texas. Our normal rainfall from Oct. 1 to now is 8.33 inches so clearly, that’s a deficit. But prolonged dry periods can turn into longer dry periods and that is the concern. Here’s our precip forecast into winter:Dry OutlookThis shows better chances than not for below normal rainfall.
Increased wildfire activity statewide possible as Texas moves into late summer fire season
Read full article: Increased wildfire activity statewide possible as Texas moves into late summer fire seasonAs a hot high pressure center continues to bake much of the state of Texas, forest service officials from Texas A & M are concerned that the combination of continued dry weather, drought conditions and expected confidence in seeing a La Nina pattern set up for the southern United States could place Texas in a hot spot for wildfire development late this summer. Conditions remain very dry across much of the Hill CountryAreas that are most susceptible to wildfire developmentOne thing forecasters are also watching as we head into the late summer and fall is the increasingly confident forecast that much of the southern half of the US will be under the influence of a strong La Nina pattern going into the Fall. For Texas, a La Nina pattern generally leads to a warmer and drier Fall and Winter as the jet stream from Canada stays further north into the Plains and we miss out on the cooler, wetter storms that come during that period. If that continues, the late summer/early fall wildfire season could be off to a quick start. Something to watch as we head into September!