Burn Bans

July 2 – Gregg County enforced a burn ban, but allowed fireworks for Independence Day celebrations.
Kilgore News Herald, Aaron May, July 2, 2011.

July 3 – A record 235 out of 254 counties were under a burn ban.
KHOU Houston, Mario Gomez, July 3, 2011.

July 4 – Georgetown followed through on their fireworks show even though most of the state experienced burn bans.
KVUE Austin, Quita Culpepper, July 4, 2011.

July 15 – Less severe drought conditions allowed Cameron County to issue burn permits.
The Brownsville Herald, Laura Martinez, July 15, 2011.

July 18 – Outdoor burn bans were extended to 247 counties.
The Houston Chronicle, July 18, 2011.

Drought

Monthly Change in Drought Monitor Classification

July 5 – Galveston County faced record monthly temperatures and drought conditions.
The Daily News (Galveston), Chris Paschenko, July 5, 2011.

July 6 – Farmers and ranchers are devastated by the drought when 213 counties were designated as primary natural disaster areas.
San Antonio Express News, July 6, 2011.

July 7 – A drought council was held in Austin to discuss the extensive effects across the state.
KSAT San Antonio, July 7, 2011.

July 13 – Small businesses in rural towns were affected by the drought.
KXXV Waco, Christine McCarthy, July 13, 2011.

July 14 – Cloud seeding took place in the Panhandle in hopes of rain.
KFDA Amarillo, Diana Crawford, July 14, 2011.

July 16 – Another Dust Bowl claimed to be unlikely due to the altered landscape.
Amarillo Globe News, Kevin Welch, July 16, 2011.

July 21 – Exceptional Drought was designated in 75% of the state of Texas.
The Star Telegram (Fort Worth), Steve Campbell, July 21, 2011.

>July 28 – Some scientists believed that long term droughts could change the nature of the state.
Longview News Journal, July 28, 2011.

July 29 – Hays County reminded local businesses of Drought Disaster Assistance.
KUT Austin, Katrina Tollin, July 29, 2011.

Fires

July 3 – The Boy Scouts of the Buffalo Trail Council demonstrated resilience after the wildfires.
Odessa American Online, Deana Savage, July 3, 2011.

July 9 – A wildfire rampaged through Sabine county and was believed to have been sparked by lightning.
KTRE Lufkin, Tina Alexander, July 9, 2011.

July 10 – A benefit was held in Grimes County for a victim of the recent wildfires and Hurricane Katrina years ago.
KBTX Bryan/College Station, Clay Falls, July 10, 2011.

July 14 – Firefighters in East Texas braved the heat of the flames.
KYTX Tyler/Longview, Jennifer Heathcock, July 14, 2011.

July 30 – The Mitre Peak Fire has burned about 1,000 acres and was 75% contained.
CBS 7 Midland, July 30, 2011.

Water Supply

July 1 – Houston faced a water dilemma as the aquifer levels were plummeting.
KHOU Houston, Dave Fehling, July 1, 2011.

July 8 – Fredericksburg entered into Stage 4 mandatory water restrictions.
KXAN Austin, Jessica Brorman, July 8, 2011.

July 9 – The Gulf of Mexico’s significance was felt all across the state, and even the nation.
The Star Telegram (Fort Worth), July 9, 2011.

July 10 – Reports said that the Dallas rains kept Lake Livingston full.
The Huntsville Item, Tori Brock, July 10, 2011.

July 12 – Brazos Valley residents were asked to conserve water as the demand was expected to rise.
The Battalion (Texas A&M), Connie Thompson, July 12, 2011.

July 13 – Wells have dried up and homeowners are forced to relocate in Randall County.
KFDA Amarillo, July 13, 2011.

July 20 – Llano continued its Stage 4 water restrictions, in order to avoid the looming Stage 5.
The Llano News, Heather Wagner, July 20, 2011.

Agricultural Impacts

July 1 – Local ranchers near Hillsboro faced tough decisions amidst the drought.
Hillsboro Reporter, July 1, 2011.

July 2 – The wheat crop faced dreadful conditions this season.
Connect Amarillo, Matt Hamilton, July 2, 2011.

July 11 – Irrigators were forced to make tough decisions amidst the drought.
KSAT San Antonio, July 11, 2011.

July 15 – Farmers gained an upper hand in the Panhandle with the aid of technology.
The Gonzales Inquirer, Norman Martin, July 15, 2011.

July 19 – The wineries in Texas have benefited from the drought.
KHOU Houston, Quita Culpepper, July 19, 2011.

July 25 – Consumers sought to eat the local produce to help farmers throughout the state.
KUT Austin, Nathan Bernier, July 25, 2011.

July 30 – The AgriLife Extension portrayed a bleak outlook in their crop report.
Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Associated Press, July 30, 2011.

Inclement Weather

July 3 – How to beat the sun and the harmful UV rays during the summer.
San Antonio Express News, Forrest Mims III, July 3, 2011.

July 4 – A Tyler news station report explored lightning ‘bolts from the blue.’
KETK Tyler, Casey Claiborne, July 4, 2011.

July 11 – Briscoe County experienced up to eleven inches of rain.
KFDA Amarillo, Diana Crawford, July 11, 2011.

July 14 – A towering dust devil halted traffic in downtown Lubbock.
Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Adam Young, July 14, 2011.

July 24 – An article concerning the weather occurrence of a heat burst.
Connect Amarillo, Shelly Sites, July 24, 2011.

Flooding

July 19 – Floods halted transit and traffic in the Port Arthur area.
KFDM Southeast Texas, July 19, 2011.

July 28 – Heavy thunderstorms flooded an El Paso area that had already been hit by a freak flood a month earlier.
El Paso Times, Aileen Flores, July 28, 2011.

Heat

July 1 – Three postal workers in El Paso were hospitalized due to the extreme temperatures.
KVIA El Paso, Celina Avila, July 1, 2011.

July 7 – Tips for keeping children safe in the summertime heat.
KTXS Abilene, Roger Mares, July 7, 2011.

July 8 – In Lubbock, a power company faced a dangerous position on disconnecting policies during heat advisories.
KCBD Lubbock, Michael Slother, July 8, 2011.

July 10 – Proper hydration is a key to ensure safety in the heat.
KYTX Tyler/Longview, Anthony Austin, July 10, 2011.

July 11 – Heat was believed to be the cause of two deaths in North Texas.
The Star Telegram (Fort Worth), Domingo Ramirez Jr. and Mitch Mitchell, July 11, 2011.

July 12 – A particular medicine could increase the risk of suffering a heat stroke.
KBTX Bryan/College Station, Nicole Morten, July 12, 2011.

July 14 – The Valley was issued a Heat Advisory and expected to have rolling blackouts.
The Monitor (Rio Grande Valley), Associated Press, July 14, 2011.

July 15 – Like much of the state, North Texas experienced record-breaking warm overnight lows.
The Star Telegram (Fort Worth), Susan McFarland, July 15, 2011.

July 18 – The heat smashed records in Abilene and across the state.
KTXS Abilene, Julie Phillips, July 18, 2011.

July 19 – A study stated that warm drinks could keep people cool in the heat.
KETK Tyler/Longview, Cody Spain, July 19, 2011.

July 20 – A few questions were answered about killer heat waves of the past.
San Saba News & Star, Texas A&M University, July 20, 2011.

July 21 – Texas led the nation in hot car deaths.
KVUE Austin, Wendy Rigby, July 21, 2011.

July 25 – North Texas tied the all-time warmest minimum temperature on record.
The Star Telegram (Fort Worth), July 25, 2011.

July 27 – Dermatologists observed an increasing number of heat-related skin conditions.
KDAF Dallas-Ft. Worth, Barry Carpenter, July 27, 2011.

July 30 – Temperatures skyrocketed and little rain transpired after Tropical Storm Don disintegrated.
Corpus Christi Caller Times, Mike Baird, July 30, 2011.

July 31 – The heat continued its deadly streak in the Valley.
Abilene Reporter News, Scott Kirk, July 31, 2011.

Hurricanes

July 6 – Affected homeowners shared $62M in a settlement after Hurricane Katrina.
The Houston Chronicle, Cain Burdeau, July 6, 2011.

uly 20 – Tropical Storm Bret weakened as Hurricane Dora intensified.
Beaumont Enterprise, Associated Press, July 20, 2011.

July 21 – The state prepared to distribute $29M in hurricane recovery funds.
Beaumont Enterprise, Sarah Moore, July 21, 2011.

July 27 – Tropical Storm Don raised hopes for rainfall in Texas.
The Houston Chronicle, Eric Berger, July 27, 2011.

July 28 – The State Climatologist deemed Tropical Storm Don as an unlikely drought breaker.
Texas A&M University News, July 28, 2011.

July 29 – Galveston County identified the last unknown victim of Hurricane Ike.
The Daily News (Galveston County), Chris Paschenko, July 29, 2011.

Severe Weather

July 2 – Gilmer cleaned up the town after high winds and lightning caused localized damage.
KYTX Tyler/Longview, July 2, 2011.

July 5 – Lightning supposedly caused a house fire in Beaumont.
KFDM Beaumont, Scott Lawrence, July 5, 2011.

July 13 – Las Cruces struggled through a power outage caused by lightning.
KFOX Las Cruces, July 13, 2011.

July 19 – Lightning damages a family’s roof in Groves.
KFDM Beaumont, Lindsey Kovacevich, July 19, 2011.

July 20 – A strong storm system left wreckage behind in New Braunfels.
KGNB New Braunfels, July 20, 2011.

July 24 – A gust from a thunderstorm tied the maximum wind speed record in Amarillo
Amarillo Globe News, Joe Gamm, July 24, 2011.

July 25 – Harris County witnessed some intense storms that blew away the competition.
KTRK Houston, Jessica Willey, July 25, 2011.

July 26 – A Denison home caught fire after a lightning strike.
Herald Democrat (Texoma), July 26, 2011.

Other Climate Impacts

July 17 – An automated weather station short course was set for July in College Station.
AgriLife Today, Robert Burns, July 17, 2011.

Air/Water Quality

July 3 – An environmental report on polluted water in the Galveston area.
The Daily News (Galveston County), Katie Terhune, July 3, 2011.

July 9 – The dangers of water quality for livestock were made clear by a Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent.
Denton Record Chronicle, Eddie Baggs, July 9, 2011.

July 15 – A Heat Advisory and poor air quality plagued the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex.
NBC Dallas-Ft. Worth, Frank Heinz, July 15, 2011.

July 18 – Drought and heat was expected to provide relief for ragweed allergies.
KVUE Austin, Jim Bergamo, July 18, 2011.

July 26 – Volunteers were trained on red tide identification in Brownsville.
The Brownsville Herald, Isaac Garcia, July 26, 2011.

July 27 – Pollution traced widespread effects on weather in this article.
Texas A&M University News, July 27, 2011./p>

Animals/Aquatic Life

July 5 – The drought hindered some insects, but allowed other species to thrive.
KUT Austin, Kelsey Sheridan, July 5, 2011.

July 8 – The heat has killed off fish and caused toxic bacteria to grow in Lake Texoma.
KTEN Texoma, Ashley Prchal, July 8, 2011.

July 11 – In Austin, Honey Bees sought to quench their thirst.
KXAN Austin, Rhonda Lee, July 11, 2011.

July 17 – Allergies troubled dogs, especially during the summer months.
The Star Telegram, Elizabeth Campbell, July 17, 2011.

July 21 – Coyotes became a new danger in the Houston area because of the drought.
KTRK Houston, Demond Fernandez, July 21, 2011.

July 22 – The drought was believed to be increasing the cases of rabies.
The Star Telegram, Elizabeth Campbell, July 22, 2011.

July 24 – In Austin, bats took the risk to forage longer and farther for insects.
Austin American Statesman, Farzad Mashhood, July 24, 2011.

July 26 – Health officials confirmed West Nile in twenty-four mosquito pools in The Woodlands.
The Spring Observer, Anna Waugh, July 26, 2011.

July 29 – Zookeepers created popsicle treats in an effort to keep the animals cool at the Dallas Zoo.
KDAF Dallas-Ft. Worth, Daniel Novick, July 29, 2011.

Construction

July 4 – Lake Columbia faced a devastating obstacle in its long-term plan because of the drought.
The Lufkin Daily News, Melissa Crager, July 4, 2011.

July 12 – The City of Pasadena logged over 500 repair calls for broken water lines.
KHOU Houston, Alex Sanz, July 12, 2011.

July 29 – Homebuilders began to choose to build towards a greener alternative.
Star Local News, Andy Pawlinski, July 29, 2011.

July 30 – Boardwalk building plans threatened the survival of Houston’s wetlands.
Culture Map Houston, Stephan Lorenz, July 30, 2011.

July 31 – An executive tried to quell doubts over wind turbines off of South Padre Island.
The Monitor (Rio Grande Valley), Steve Clark, July 31, 2011.

Economics

July 5 – Deer and cattle production experienced significant declines in the Big Country.
Abilene Reporter News, Jerry Lackey, July 5, 2011.

July 6 – Prices for water increased in West Texas.
Midland Reporter Telegram, Kathleen Thurber, July 6, 2011.

July 7 – The heat caused foundation problems for homeowners, and scams created financial loss.
KTRK Houston, Jeff Ehling, July 7, 2011.

July 9 – A diminished demand for benchmark cotton drove the prices to the lowest point since January.
Lubbock Avalanche Journal, July 9, 2011.

July 12 – Some businesses took advantage of the warm weather to make a few gains.
KETK Tyler/Longview, Casey Claiborne, July 12, 2011.

July 16 – Low lake levels hurt businesses on Lake Travis.
YNN Austin, John Salazar, July 16, 2011.

July 22 – The prices of milk were expected to rise due to the drought.
KCBD Lubbock, Michael Slother, July 22, 2011.

uly 23 – Smaller businesses struggled to maintain day-to-day operations during the summer.
YNN Austin, Sebastian Robertson, July 23, 2011.

July 25 – The food banks in El Paso took a hit due to the recession and the drought.
El Paso Times, Alex Hinojosa, July 25, 2011.

July 31 – The livestock and agriculture businesses were expected to suffer for several months because of the drought.
KCEN Waco, July 31, 2011.

Homes/Gardening/Trees

July 1 – A San Angelo native gave tips on planting small, drought-hardy trees that would help your landscape.
San Angelo Standard Times, John Begnaud, July 1, 2011.

July 6 – Rain Sage created hopes for rain in San Angelo as they bloomed in full force.
San Angelo Standard Times, Jerry Lackey, July 6, 2011.

July 7 – Landscaping tips are provided for North Texans.
The Star Telegram, July 7, 2011.

July 13 – The drought took their toll on trees in Central Texas.
KVUE Austin, Andrew Chung, July 13, 2011.

July 16 – Thieves swiped AC units from unsuspecting victims.
Seguin Gazette, Felicia Frazar, July 16, 2011.

July 17 – Summers can stink, literally.
Austin American Statesman, Helen Anders, July 17, 2011.

July 27 – A 1,000-year-old tree was watered by volunteer fire departments to ensure its survival.
Corpus Christi Caller Times, Jesse Martinez, July 27, 2011.

July 28 – The combined heat and power outages caused miserable conditions for a Dallas neighborhood.
WFAA Dallas-Ft. Worth, Gary Reaves, July 28, 2011.

Hunting/Fishing

July 10 – Anglers saw a record season for some species of fish in Sabine Lake.
The Houston Chronicle, Shannon Tompkins, July 10, 2011.

Recreation/Leisure/Athletics

July 2 – West Texas had trouble maintaining their golf courses.
Midland Reporter Telegram, Len Hayward, July 2, 2011.

July 4 – At least three swimmers drowned over the July fourth weekend in North Texas.
KDFW Dallas-Ft. Worth, Alice Wolke, July 4, 2011.

July 8 – Physical training and endurance could improve in the hot weather.
Corpus Christi Caller Times, Alissa Inman, July 8, 2011.

July 16 – Heavy rains washed out the Rangers ballgame in Arlington.
Winnipeg Free Press, July 16, 2011.

July 17 – National Ice Cream Day stood up against the blistering heat of summer.
Plainview Herald, Kevin Lewis, July 17, 2011.

July 18 – Heavy rain went to battle against a rodeo in Jacksonville.
Jacksonville Daily Progress, Jay Neal, July 18, 2011.

July 23 – The Houston Zoo has prepared for an exciting, snow-filled summer.
KIAH Houston, July 23, 2011.

July 23 – The Austin Space Day encouraged kids to explore the outer realms.
Austin American Statesman, Patrick Beach, July 23, 2011.

July 24 – Football fields in Lubbock faced their greener days in the past.
Lubbock Avalanche Journal, George Watson, July 24, 2011.

July 31 – A Longview journal expressed its concern over the safety of athletes in the summer heat.
Longview News Journal, Jack Stallard, July 31, 2011.

Roads/Traffic/Travel

July 22 – The City of Tyler welcomed the heat because it aided their road enhancement program.
KYTX Tyler/Longview, Michele Reese, July 22, 2011.

July 23 – A 90-year-old woman continued her paper route through all kinds of weather.
Times Record News (Wichita Falls), Ellee Watson, July 23, 2011.

July 26 – The temperatures soared so high that railroad tracks began to warp in North Texas.
The Star Telegram (Fort Worth), Gordon Dickson, July 26, 2011.