Burn Bans

Drought

Monthly Change in Drought Monitor Classification

Texas Remains Drought Free -- The Lone Star State has been drought free for four weeks and counting. Now all the Abnormally Dry areas are limited to Far West Texas. In the previous week there was also a D0 area within the Eastern Panhandle, which was eliminated due to rainfall.
My Plainview, Doug McDonough, June 20, 2016

ENSO

Say goodbye to El Niño and hello to La Niña -- The Godzilla El Niño delivered on its promise for added rain in Texas, as it brought flooding events from May 2015 to April 2016. The El Niño finally ended after 15 months, and will go down as one of the strongest three El Niño events.
KRON4, Jim Spencer, June 9, 2016

Summer climate outlook for Central Texas -- The El Niño is officially gone, and has turned to an ENSO neutral condition and is approaching La Niña conditions. The Climate Prediction Center estimates the La Niña has a 75% chance of forming by fall and winter, and could come as early as August. For the hurricane season, there should be a normal season, however more of them my hit the Texas Gulf Coast. Temperatures are expected to be near normal, and precipitation is expected to be above normal.
KXAN, David Yeomans, June 20, 2016

Agriculture/Livestock

Texas Crop and Weather Report, June 1 -- Many problems can arise from standing water for crops, however these farmers are all too familiar with the drought from 2011 and are slow to complain about the issues related to excess water. Brazos County area along with places just surrounding it are suffering from washed away fences, stunted crops and lost crops. Other areas did manage to drain better and did well with the rain amounts. The rain also hampers the farmer’s ability to access their crops to put herbicides and fertilizer.
AgriLife Today, Adam Russell, June 1, 2016

US Plains weather seen drier, aiding wheat harvest, quality -- Hard red winter wheat, one of the largest wheat classes, is used for bread and the weather is keeping harvesting at bay. Normally at this point 17% is harvested, and now only 11% has been harvested. The delay was caused by too much water in the crops hampering the heavy equipment from operating safely. Meteorologists forecasts for the next week were dry, and expected to aid in returning to safer harvesting conditions for farmers in the Plains.
Agweek, Julie Ingwersen, June 4, 2016

USDA offers disaster assistance to Texas farmers and ranchers impacted by severe weather -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers help to farmers before, during, and after storms affecting them. There are specialized benefits to different groups within the Farm Service Agency (FSA) for farmers. They even provide information for free to those suffering from power outages with keeping as much of their food edible as possible.
KBTX, Staff Writer, June 14, 2016

Texas farmers reporting crop damage after storms, others say ‘wait and see’ -- Southeast Texas was hit the hardest by the storms. There were cotton crops lost and fields flooded for some farmers. Many farmers were kept from being able to tend to the crops due to flooding on the field. Some of the cotton farmers desperately needed many dry days in order to replant before insurance coverage deadlines would come. Farmers in the Rolling Plains, High Plains, and Southern Plains experienced more minor damage.
Southwest Farm Press, Logan Hawkes, June 7, 2016

Cotton farmers headed for a hard landing as subsidies phase out -- One farmer, who plants 5,800 acres of cotton has relied on the government for aid in rough years where weather, whether it be drought or floods, caused damage to crops in order to stay out of debt. This aid is now going to cease. The bill did keep insurance subsidies, but there will be no direct payments to more quickly help the farmers. Many towns rely on cotton, and they foresee a trainwreck with this change in aid from the government.
The Houston Chronicle, Lydia DePillis, June 9, 2016

AgriLife Extension experts: Livestock parasites, pests likely to proliferate due to wet weather – Pests thrive in the wet warm pastures many cattle and other livestock roam on. Cattle can die from a common brown stomach worm. Often the treatment for this worm can be topical, and also helps prevent horn and face flies. Ticks cause infections, redness and swelling. The parasite problem also reaches sheep. Dewormers should be used as prevention, but while the parasites are present, the sheep should be monitored and if the additional treatments are not working a switch in dewormers might be necessary.
AgriLife Today, Schattenberg, Machen, Redden, Wicksten and Merchant, June 11, 2016

South Texas experiences uphill battle in growing tomatoes -- Texas A&M research scientists are exploring new ways to help the suffering vegetable industry in Texas. Currently they are attempting to extend the tomato-growing season. The obstacles in their way are diseases and insects, along with the harsh heat conditions. The current solution they are exploring are structures, which will protect the tomatoes and help farmers have more profitable yields.
Valley Morning Star, Rod Santa Ana III, June 11, 2016

Weather, mostly rain dominates Texas AgriLife Extension activities – Many farmers’ crops were damaged with the excess rain and some had to re-plant or change to alternate crops. Some cornfields were hit during critical times. Some will be able to recover with drier conditions and other farmers will have to plant alternative crops. Along the Brazos River hundreds of livestock were displaced. Many farmers in East Texas took advantage of drier weather to make hay.
Southwest Farm Press, Ron Smith, June 15, 2016

Texas Crop Report – Dry weather in Central Texas prompted farmers to bale hay, which varied in quality. The wheat harvest could resume in the Rolling Plains due to windy days and warm weather drying the topsoil. Good yields were also harvested in the Coastal Bend due to the drier weather and more hay was produced. Farmers in the Coastal Bend were also able to spread herbicide and forage crops. In the South Plains the cotton planted after May 25 faired better than cotton planted afterwards due to the wet and cold weather. The North experienced good planting conditions.
San Antonio Express-News, Staff Writer, June 15, 2016

Wheat Harvest 2016 - Good yields; test weights in Kansas, Oklahoma – In Wichita Falls excess rain damaged what would have been a good crop.
Farm Futures, Bob Burgdorfer, June 17, 2016

Texas Floods Damage Crops, Forages -- Many areas within central and southeastern Texas were hit with 6 to 20 inches of rain during May. The excess rain caused flooding and destroyed many crops. In addition to that it has kept livestock from their grazing land. The flooding was so severe in some areas that rice, which is normally sitting in water, suffered. Forages were damaged as well, and the process sped up since higher heat of water causes the grass to die within days as opposed to months under cooler water.
DTN / Progressive Farmer, Russ Quinn, June 17, 2016

Sunshine and no rain have Texas producers working full speed ahead – The biggest influence on hay quality is when the farmers cut it. As grasses grow they reach the most mature state, and most quality state then continue to grow increasing in quantity and slightly decreasing in quality. It is up to the farmer and the weather to determine when to forage.
Abilene Reporter News, Adam Russell, June 17, 2016

Texas Crop and Weather Report - June 21 -- Higher temperatures across the state are causing the soil moisture levels to drop. In the Plains, the additional low relative humidity and winds cause farmers to need an extra half an inch of water a day. Meanwhile, further South in Corpus Christi, the farmers are in need of more sun, wind and heat in order to help dry out the oversaturated crops due to the high humidity levels keeping crops too wet. The grain and cotton crops have done well this year due to the maintained moisture index.
AgriLife Today, Adam Russell, June 22, 2016

East Texas farmers hurting from extreme weather changes – One peach farmer says his crops have been struggling especially in the past few years with more extremes in temperatures. This past winter did not provide enough cool days for the peach trees. Because he is aware his farm will never produce the same amount of peaches again, the farm is acclimating by also learning to produce berries in addition to his signature fruit.
KTRE, Caleb Beams, June 27, 2016

Texas Crop and Weather Report – June 29 – The heavily saturated soils stunted root growth for many plants. Thankfully many of the replants were doing well ranging from fair to good. However, they expect if arid conditions continue the plants might not fare as well. In the Panhandle more farmers are replanting crops due to less than ideal conditions.
AgriLife Today, Adam Russell, June 28, 2016

Significant Weather

Rainfall/Flooding

Some moving, others staying after latest Texas flooding -- One elderly couple lived in Simonton, a town just west of Houston for 18 years and never had flooding in his home despite to 20 warnings to evacuate. However, this past event brought floodwaters to his home and solidified his decision to move further north to San Antonio to avoid the floodwaters. There were 300 water rescues over a 4-day span. By the end of May Governor Greg Abbott announced 3 counties under state of disaster.
Fox News, Associated Press, June 1, 2016

State of Disaster Declared in 31 Flooded Texas Counties as Storms Dump More Rain -- Many schools were forced to close due to another round of severe thunderstorms, which brought yet more rain to the already drenched state. At least 12 roads were closed and high water rescues were performed. In the Plains 6 were killed and four were still missing. The Brazos River was causing flooding and issues all along its path. Roughly 1,000 people who lived in Fort Bend were evacuated.
The Weather Channel, Eric Charney, June 2, 1016

Steady rainfall brings fear of floods in SETX -- Already flooded and near full rivers could become worse with another half foot of rain in the forecast. More flooding will be possible with the forecasted 2-6 inches rain. The downpours already closed roads, let school out early, and lead to power outages. A high school baseball game was relocated in order to attempt to avoid the weather.
Beaumont Enterprise, Sara E. Flores, June 3, 2016

16 Killed, 1 Missing in Plains Flooding; Fort Hood Soldiers Identified -- Of those killed, 9 were soldiers, who died when their truck was overturned into floodwaters. Thankfully 3 soldiers were saved in the incident. In addition to that at least 2 high water rescues were performed. Roughly 12 roads were closed. Evacuations were also issued due to the Brazos River’s water levels.
The Weather Channel, Ada Carr, June 5, 2016

Historic Deluge Hits Texas. Houston, You Have a Problem. -- There were 183,000 square miles of Texas covering an area equivalent to Germany and England under flash flood watches. This was significant for one area, which received 15 inches of rain in a 12 hour time span after already receiving 20 inches of rain in previous days. This was the area’s second 100-year storm within a span of a week.
Slate, Eric Holthaus, June 3, 2016

Texas flooding from space -- Near Houston, the Brazos River is higher than it has been in over a century. This lead to the Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to declare a state of emergency. The river was four feet higher than the old record, and was predicted to stay at the high levels for about two to three more weeks.
KOCO, Shelby Hays, June 4, 2016

Death toll rises as storms finally ease in Texas -- Many families were rescued and brought to shelters. During the storm, the Brazos River reached the highest level it has seen in a century. The death toll from that storm system was still at 16 people.
The Weather Network, Staff Writer, June 6, 2016

Nice here, but historical flooding in Texas -- An estimated 35 trillion gallons of water have fallen over Texas last month according to a National Weather Service Meteorologist. That would be enough water to cover Texas in 8 inches of rain.
Coeur d’Alene Press, Randy Mann, June 6, 2016

Rain lets up in Texas but some evacuation orders continue -- Even as the rain forecasts slowed down to a stop, the Houston emergency officials were still hard at work evacuating people out of the flood plains next to the Brazos river. In Rosharon about 2,000 people were told to evacuate their homes. Later, Bailey Prairie was also included in the evacuation order.
The Huntsville Item, Paul J. Weber, June 6, 2016

Texas Digest: Abbott adds 15 counties to flood disaster declaration -- In total, Texas had 46 states under disaster declarations from flooding and severe weather. Under the proclamation, the emergency contracting requirements are eased in order to better respond to the disaster areas.
The Austin American-Statesman, Staff Writer, June 8, 2016

Hardin County added to disaster declaration due to severe weather -- There were 14 counties in addition to Hardin County which Governor Greg Abbott added to the disaster declaration. These declarations were brought upon from many counties receiving 10 inches of rainfall in such a short period of time.
Beaumont Enterprise, Staff Writer, June 8, 2016

Water Rescues in Texas, Oklahoma As Severe Weather Floods Parts of Plains – Flooding occurred in Navarro County just southeast of Dallas. A portion of southbound I-45 was closed as a result. Waco made a new rain record for June 12 with 2.46 inches of rain. Near Fort Worth five homes were struck by lightning and caught on fire. Of the homes, one suffered major damage, two had destroyed roofs and second floors, and two had minor damage.
The Weather Channel, Eric Chaney, June 12, 2016

Rain floods into Houston Galleria, parking garage -- Some shoppers desired to escape the rain with a good shopping trip, but the rain still found them. The storms reached the mall and even crept in through the ceiling of the mall. The Galleria was expected to return to business as usual on Monday.
The Houston Chronicle, Jessica Hamilton, June 13, 2016

Heat index expected to go into triple digits this week in San Antonio, South Central Texas – Temperatures were forecasted nearing the 100s, with head indices feeling well above 100. Then showers were expected to reach San Antonio. Any rain chances were east of I-35 corridor.
San Antonio Express-News, Mark D. Wilson, June 13, 2016

Federal disaster declaration granted for 12 Texas counties – President Obama granted Gov. Abbott’s request for federal aid to 12 counties just affected by the recent flooding. This will help the citizens rebuild their lives. FEMA is also granting assistance to people in need.
KAGS, Staff Writer, June 13, 2016

Texas Man Protects Home From Floodwaters Using AquaDam -- One resident in Rosharon decided to attempt to protect his home using AquaDam. At the time he set it up many people thought it was a dumb idea, however after the floodwaters damaged their homes they were impressed with how well the AquaDam worked. The system cost 8,000 and was a set of tubing to put around the home and filled with water to keep the floodwaters from even reaching the home. Even floodwaters as high as 27 inches did not go over the AquaDam.
The Weather Channel, Sean Breslin, June 14, 2016

Texas gators pop up in unlikely spots following recent flooding -- A 7-foot alligator found himself at Surfside Beach where many were out swimming and celebrating Father’s Day. A larger, 12-foot alligator was found at Sylvan Beach and due to its size, the alligator was put down for the safety of the public. Normally alligators avoid the ocean from the extra salinity, but the extra rainfall has caused them to linger into the ocean via the floodwaters.
The Austin American-Statesman, Staff Writer, June 20, 2016

Danielle Dissipates, Tropical Moisture Moves Towards Texas -- Some scattered showers will come to Houston, thanks to moisture from Tropical Storm Danielle. More moisture from the Caribbean will also move towards Texas and bring rain chances towards the weekend.
ABC13, Staff Writer, June 21, 2016

Destruction, tubing in North Texas as storms pass through – In Uptown storms collapsed a garage. Off of Central Expressway a billboard collapsed and fell onto a car. There were delays at the Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International airports. Some motorists were stranded in high waters. An individual decided to go tubing down a flooded street.
WFAA, Majorie Owens, June 28, 2016

Warm Weather

Cop accused of leaving police dog to die in hot car in 90-degree weather -- Police officer Juan Luis Cerrillo Jr. in Hidalgo County was an experienced K9 handler, who left his K9 dog Rex, a Belgian Malinois, in the car. He left Rex in the hot car for a few hours before remembering he left his dog in the car. The police department suspended Cerrillo without pay, and say the loss was unacceptable because the officers are responsible for their dogs 24/7.
Associated Press, June 7, 2016

Fleas on the rise due to hot temperatures -- In general all bug populations thrive in warmer weather. For protecting your pet, simple over the counter fixes are not good enough to ward away the fleas and pests. One business at Bugsperts Pest Control noted a spike in phone calls after the Memorial Weekend for flea infestation in homes and yards.
12 News, Ezzy Castro, June 9, 2016

Summery weekend weather -- Corpus Christi area was expected to have continued summertime weather for the end of the week. The forecast had humidity with plenty of heat to spare and possible showers. The weekend brought a similar forecast, with greater chances of isolated showers and hotter temperatures in the lower 90s.
KRISTV, Dale Nelson, June 10, 2016

Heat advisory for Dallas-Fort Worth extended until Friday – The National Weather Service issued the first heat advisory for North Texas and a portion of East Texas, with high temperatures reaching 105 degrees. This is the average time of year for the first head advisory. People were advised to stay indoors if they could, because the extra moisture in the air will make it feel even more uncomfortable outdoors.
Dallas Morning News, Caleb Downs, June 15, 2016

East Texas under heat advisory through Thursday -- Forecasts put the highs in the 90s, but the added moisture and humidity in the air made it feel more like triple digit heat. Residents in East Texas would be prone to heat related illnesses. People were advised to stay in air-conditioned areas, such as the movie theatre or other large public areas to avoid the heat. Hydration during heat advisories is also a must, especially before going out into the heat.
Tyler Morning Telegraph, Cory McCoy, June 15, 2016

Picnic food safety greater concern in hot weather – Any bacteria in the food can release more toxins when in contact with the hot temperatures outside. Typically there are many foods used in picnics, and the more food you use, the higher chance you have of contamination. To stay safe, Texas AgriLife Extension Service recommends to: clean, separate, cook and chill. Also remember to use a different cutting board for raw meats and fresh produce.
Waxahachie Daily Light, Rita Hodges, June 16, 2016

Child dies after being found in hot car outside Texas home – A three-year-old child managed to walk out of his home, and into the family car. Once he was inside, the car automatically locked since it had child safety lock enabled and the child went into the back seat. From there he could not figure out how to get out of the car. They believe the boy was trying to retrieve a toy from the car, and the family noticed 30-45 min after he was missing, but it was too late for the boy.
KTRK-TV, Tracy Clemons, June 17, 2016

Tracking a warm, less humid first week of summer – Abilene area has felt like summer for a week, and on the first official day of summer the forecast continues to look like summer. Temperatures were expected to reach the mid 90s, and that trend was expected to stay through most of the week.
KTXS, Meteorologist Hayden Nix, June 20, 2016

North Texas Creeps towards 100 degrees heading into July 4 – Just in time for the fourth of July, temperatures in North Texas were forecasted to approach 100 degrees. A Meteorologist from the National Weather Service urged people to stay hydrated if they were outside for any length of time and to participate in activities to reduce pollution. Some options for reducing pollutants include keeping your car tuned, sharing rides, and choosing to use other transportation methods such as buses or riding your bike.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dylan Bradley, June 30, 2016

Three Long, Hot Months of Summer – There was an air pollution watch in effect for the day. There was a chance of isolated showers in the afternoon, but a rain free forecast for the rest of the week. The heat index would bring the temperatures to feeling over 100 degrees.
KDFI, Staff Writer, June 20, 2016

6-Month-Old Texas Girl Dies in Hot Car; Father Attempted to Cool Her Off In Refrigerator -- Her father was charged with manslaughter. He left her out in 95 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures for four hours on a very humid day after dropping off two other children to daycare. In an attempt to hide what he did, he put his daughter in the refrigerator in order to make her body temperature seem more normal before calling 9-1-1.
The Weather Channel, Eric Chaney, June 22, 2016

Tracking full sunshine and mid-90s for Wednesday – A high pressure system brought about temperatures in the mid-90s and sunny skies for the Big Country. The calm weather was accompanied by breezy winds ranging from 10-15 mph. Nighttime lows were predicted in the mi-70s.
KTXS, Meteorologist Hayden Nix, June 22, 2016

North Texas staying hot, dry through weekend – Temperatures were predicted to reach 96 degrees, with temperatures dropping only to 76 degrees over night. Even with rain on the forecast for Tuesday the temperatures were expected to rise.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dylan Bradley, June 23, 2016

Cold/Winter Weather

A cold front is coming to Dallas-Fort Worth – but don’t expect to notice it – The cold front is predicted to drop the temperatures about five degrees, but this will not be extremely noticeable. So far three children in Texas were left in hot cars and died. In addition to that 47 children age ranging from 2 months to 17 years old have died due to drowning according to the Department of Family and Protective Services.
Dallas Morning News, Claire Z. Cardona, June 28, 2016

Severe Weather

Dust Up Between Texans and Weather Service over haboob -- Many residents were upset about the use of the Arabic word Haboob as opposed to using just a dust storm. The National Weather Service received many aggravated emails from Texans, who do not want to use the term haboob. Meteorologically speaking, a haboob can go to 100 meters high appearing as a wall of dust and is formed differently from just a dust storm, which is normally a larger area with dust from strong winds and just lower visibility.
The Weather Network, Meteorologist Caroline Floyd, June 1, 2016

Tracking an isolated t’storm chances for the weekend -- The Abilene area should stay with sunny skies and some clouds in the morning, with temperatures approaching 90 degrees. Towards the weekend, there will be a chance for smaller pop up thunderstorms cannot be ruled out.
KTXS, Meteorologist Hayden Nix, June 10, 2016

Few thunderstorms possible this afternoon and evening -- A cold front was expected to bring showers and thunderstorms into Eastern Texas and part of Louisiana. Winds could reach as strong as 60 mph and frequent lightning was expected.
KLTV/KTRE, Meteorologist Daniel Graves, June 18, 2016

More than 5,000 lose power after thunderstorm – The outages were restored by the next morning at 7 a.m. after going out at 4 a.m. according to the American Electric Power Texas corporate communication manager. However, 177 homes were still without power at 7 p.m. due to trees and debris on the power lines.
Victoria Advocate, Kathryn Cargo, June 19, 2016

Haboob Hits El Paso – The Haboob brought wind gusts up to 50 mph in El Paso and in general Haboobs can reach gusts up to 70 mph. They are powerful dust storms, which have strong downbursts. It is suggested not to breathe in much of the dust and if you are driving they suggest going off the road to the right in order to stay safe until the visibility is improved.
KVIA, June 24, 2016

Wild Weather Does Damage In Dallas – The storms brought damaging winds and rain to the Dallas area. One apartment complex lost a structure off of its parking garage due to the storms. Thankfully there was no structural damage to the apartment complex.
CBS DFW, Jeff Paul, June 27, 2016

Storms with strong winds expected this afternoon – A minor front was expected to come in and cause straight line wind damage and possible flooding. Strong storms are expected during the afternoon. Meteorologist Travis Herzog says it will return to the dry streak on Thursday.
KTRK, Staff Writer, June 28, 3016

Central Texas hit Tuesday with 101-degree weather, round of storms – Tuesday was Austin’s first 100 plus degree day without the humidity and heat index creating the feels like 100 degrees. If that was not enough for the city, they also had a storm in the afternoon, which cooled off temperatures by 15 degrees.
Austin American-Statesman, Roberto Villalpando, June 28, 2016

Other Climate Impacts

Economics/Technology

Volunteers from across country come to Central Texas ahead of possible severe weather -- One Red Cross volunteer came all the way from Long Island, and was joined by many others, who are making Central Texas their home for the next few weeks to help give relief to those who have been affected by the flood waters and severe weather events. The Red Cross was planning on opening many shelters, and they were still in need of a few hundred more volunteers.
KTBC, RaeAnn Christensen, June 1, 2016

Additional Volunteers Assisting Texas Flood Victims -- The American Red Cross has volunteers over the U.S. who come to the aid of people all over the world. This time, the volunteers made their way to Texas, as many residents were impacted by the floods. Of those bringing relief, there were eight who came all the way from Western and Central New York. They were extra support to those already bringing relief in Texas.
Madison County Courier, Staff Writer, June 4, 2016

Bastrop state parks recover from string of disasters -- The area received 11 inches of rain on May 27, and since then some campgrounds are unreachable, trees were uprooted, boulders were littered downstream, picnic tables were overturned, and roads were damaged. In all 8 Texas state parks were shut down due to May rains, and a total of 27 of Texas’s 95 state parks saw some impact from the severe weather and flooding. They estimate a total of $30 million in damages to the state parks in Texas excluding the most recent flooding event.
The Austin American-Statesman, Staff Writer, June 5, 2016

Texas Governor Adds More Counties to Disaster Declaration, Requests Federal Aid -- In addition to the 46 counties under disaster declarations, Gov. Abbott has requested Federal Aid for 12 more counties. If President Obama decides to give the area aid, individuals would receive $33,000 in grants from the government. In the past 13 months roughly 19.7 million Texas citizens were in need of help from weather related disasters, which is more people than 48 other states combined.
Insurance Journal, Staff Writer, June 9, 2015

High water closes stores, streets; widespread power outages reported -- Hundreds of customers had power outages within Central Texas. In Waco 8,000 people were without power. McLennan County Courthouse was without power and trials were canceled and rescheduled. In addition to the outages, a Wal-Mart had 2 feet of water within the store. Murphy’s lost $60,000 in cigarettes and tobacco products due to water reaching the storage area.
KWTX, Paul J. Gately and Brady Taylor, June 13, 2016

Flood-damaged state parks in bad shape at time of peak usage – A handful of parks have been closed due to flooding damages. There are an additional 12, which have closed some of their facilities to the public. This is similar to last year when 11 parks were closed due to flooding. This is tough on the parks, as they receive 80% of their business during the summer months. The estimated damage is $16 million from last year and now the estimate is twice that at least with the additional recent flooding events.
Houston Chronicle, Shannon Tompkins, June 15, 2016

Texas Wave Park Gets Delayed -- Crews have had to deal with the 100-year historic flooding, microbursts and many other weather events as well as bureaucratic hoops to open the NLand Surf Park. As soon as these delays stop, Austin will also be home to a land surf destination.
Surfline, Dashel Pierson, June 17, 2016

When Heat Spikes, Texas Power Use Law Kicks In – Even if customers do not pay for their air conditioning, it is against the law to cut off power during heat advisories for a county or if one has been issued in the prior two days. However, you will still be charged for the time you were using the air conditioning without paying.
WBAP News, Staff Writer, June 20, 2016

Thunderstorms Bring Strong Gusts, Damage to North Texas – Some roads were temporarily closed due to flooding. The greatest amount of rainfall amounting to 3 inches hit Tarrant County. There were approximately 4,000 people without power due to the thunderstorm.
NBC DFW, Staff Writer, June 28, 2016

Roads/Traffic/Travel

Torrential rain creates flooding in South Texas -- The San Antonio area was under a flash flood warning with expected additional rain in the morning and afternoon. This lead some schools to close for the day, while other schools in the area delayed their opening time. The storm caused 13,000 to 15,000 people to be without power at some point. Also, lower levels of I-35 and an area of northbound I-37 were closed due to flooding.
KSAT 12, Mike Osterhage, June 2, 2016

High water hampers Houston-area road reopening efforts -- Drier weather allowed the eastbound US 90A and I-45 at Texas 242 and FM 1960 were able to re-open. Other roads were still closed for driver’s safety. You should never drive in flooded roads.
Houston Chronicle, Dug Begley, June 3, 2016

Rain slows, but flooding still threat in Southeast Texas -- Residents in East Columbia, Bailey’s Prairie and Bar-X were warned to prepare to leave for an evacuation by the emergency crews from Brazoria County. In Rosharon area about 2,000 people had to evacuate their homes. Even three prisons were evacuated. The Emergency Management teams were expected to be able to go from response to recovery over the weekend.
The Dallas Morning News, Associated Press, June 4, 2016

Why you still can’t drive on Highway 6 -- The highway has been closed in parts for over a month, and the closures continue. Thankfully the forecast predicted drier weather, which means the highway will be dry, but not necessarily fit for drivers. After the water is no longer an issue Texas Department of Transportation still has to deal with debris and mud and road inspections before reopening.
Houston Chronicle, Jessica Hamilton, June 9, 2016

Thunderstorms unlikely to linger through Monday commute – The thunderstorm chances were higher on Sunday evening and into the very early morning hours Monday. If the storms continued, the only risks will be gusty winds, lightning and heavy rain. Forecasters predict the storms will be over in time to go to work without storms. During the day the temperatures were expected to reach 90 degrees, with temperatures feeling more like 100 degrees.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Azia Branson and Dylan Bradley, June 12, 2016

Air Quality Alert – The National Weather Service issued an Ozone action day for the Houston, Galveston, and Brazoria areas for a day. They suggest to help with the ozone levels by riding to work with someone, riding a bike, walking, or taking your lunch to work in order to help minimize the effects of ozone.
KHOU, Staff Writer, June 26, 2016

Academics

Inclement weather plans for Texas graduations -- Several East Texas schools had to modify their graduation plans in case of inclement weather. Some decided to change event locations, and others had contingency plans in place in case of weather events. Others moved the event indoors.
KLTV, Staff Writer, June 1, 2016

Coastal Bend could face more severe weather -- A tornado tore through Kingsville for about 2.5 miles the last day of may, leaving 18,500 people without power. Many power lines were knocked down by the winds associated with the thunderstorm. On June 1 1,400 people were still without power. This caused a cancellation for Wednesday classes for Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The Kleberg County Courthouse, City Hall were closed Wednesday.
Corpus Christi Caller Times, Beatriz Alvarado, June 2, 2016

Graduations altered at some North Texas schools due to weather -- Some graduation plans were altered in advance due to the inclement weather. There were at least 5 high schools, which had planned on outdoor venues. Those high schools moved their ceremonies to indoor locations. Others planned to stay with their outdoor graduation and just moved the start time later. Still others opted for a change in day and venue.
WFAA, Staff Writer, June 3, 2016

Hunting/Fishing

Texas Oyster Industry in Shambles from Floods; Judge Declares Disaster – This year’s flooding killed off many mollusks. To help with the blow for a second year in a row, the Galveston County Judge Mark Henry declared a disaster to help the struggling oyster farmers. The additional water has lowered salinity levels, which threatens the health of the oysters. This industry brings in $30 million and most of the farmers are located in Galveston Bay. The estimated federal aid would be $0 to $30 million to restore damaged oyster reefs.
The Weather Channel, Ada Carr, June 16, 2016

Recreation/Leisure/Athletics

Texas teams ready for inclement weather at College Station Regional -- The Texas A&M baseball team had to stay prepared for severe weather. During gametime College Station was under a flood watch and severe weather was favorable. The pitchers had to be ready to pitch at different times if the severe weather was expected to cause delays in between innings.
The Eagle, Travis L. Brown, June 3, 2016

Thunderstorms dissipating over Austin area -- The runoff from the thunderstorm brought threat of flooding. According to the Lower Colorado River Authority’s rain gauges, in six hours Jollyville had 4 inches, Lake Austin received 2.5 inches and Onion Creek received 1.5 inches of rain. The storms lead to a rescheduling of the X Games along with cancellations of many concerts.
The Austin American-Statesman, Staff Writer, June 4, 2016

Texas Crop and Weather Report - June 7 -- In Liberty County and many others the rains have been good for home gardens, especially ones with good drainage systems in place. However, with the additional rain also brings diseases, pests and more weeds. With the extra rain many gardeners make the mistake of overwatering. To avoid this be sure to see if moisture is present up to two inches down before watering your plants.
AgriLife Today, Adam Russell, June 7, 2016

Weather rules U.S. Open, but Andry rules Oakmont – Play was halted three times due to thunderstorms in the area. It is best to be cautious while golfing with storms around to avoid being struck by lightning. The next three days of the U.S. Open were forecasted to have much better weather conditions.
Newsday, Mark Herrmann, June 16, 2016

North Texans finding ways to beat the brutal heat – One family attempted to find relief in swimming at Lewisville Lake, but even the water was warm instead of cool. In addition to finding cooler activities outdoors, families were urged to stay indoors if it was possible.
WFAA, Philip Townsend, June 18, 2016

ESCO update: With weather heating up, be prepared, stay safe – Ellis County has many lakes people migrate to for the fourth of July three day weekend. Of all of the lakes, only Little Mustang is closed. He only warned for boaters to stay safe in the heat and to always double check the backseat even if you do not think your child is there to form a habit.
Waxahachie Daily Light, Sheriff Johnny Brown, June 25, 2016

Brian Lambert and Buoy 44 crew overcome harsh weather, win Great Texas 300 open division – To prepare for the competition, Captain Brian Lambert and crew had to prepare their boat all night for 10 hours. The race required sailors to go 300 miles from South Padre Island to Galveston. They were exhausted even before 10 a.m. for the start of the race. The wind was so strong that within the first 25 hours two teams masts were broken and were forced to call for help to leave the open water in the severe harsh conditions. The winning team’s strategy was to stay closer to shore, where conditions were slightly less harsh.
NWF Daily News, Josh Hyber, June 27, 2016