Burn Bans/ Drought/ Fires/Water Supply
Burn Bans
March 2- Denton County Judge issued a countywide burn ban because of the dry weather and large potential for wildfires.
Colony Courier Leader, Heather Goodwin, March 2, 2011
March 11 – A lack of recent precipitation has forced Ector County Commissioners discuss the possibility of putting extending the current burn ban.
NewsWest 9, March 11, 2011
March 13 – Lack of rain in Midland County has forced County commissioners to consider extending the current burn ban.
Midland Reporter Telegram, Kathleen Thurber, March 13, 2011
March 14 – Officials in Ector have decided to extend the current burn ban for another 30 days.
NewsWest 9, March 14, 2011
March 17 – Milam County has decided to extend their burn ban by 60 days because of the lack of rain and dry conditions.
The Cameron Herald, March 17, 2011
March 20 – County commissioners in Lubbock are considering extending the current burn ban because of the impending threat of major grass fires.
KCBD News, James Clark, March 20, 2011
March 21 – Love and Marshall Country recently joined a growing list of Texas counties with burn bans.
KXII News, Dara Downs, March 21, 2011
March 30 – After light rains fell for much of the day on the 29th, the Parker County judge revoked an outdoor burning ban that was put in place a week earlier.
Weatherford Democrat, Judy Sheridan, March 30, 2011
Drought
Monthly Change in Drought Monitor Classification
March 3 - Dry conditions in Jacksonville are threatening the life of plants that are coming out of hibernation.
Daily Progress, Tim Monzingo, March 3, 2011
March 4 – Officials warn that January rains in Austin were still not enough to bring the area out of drought conditions. The September 2010 through February 2011 total of 4.95 inches at Camp Mabry is more than 7 inches below normal for that period.
Austin American Statesman, Robert Quigley, March 4, 2011
March 16 – With drought conditions looming, the city of Boerne has decided to take measures to save water.
San Antonio Express News, Linda Byrne, March 17, 2011
March 25 – Fire and weather officials in Central Texas are worried that the drought might continue through at least May as no relief seems to be in sight.
Austin American Statesman, Asher Price, March 25, 2011
March 25 – Weather officials in the Dallas/Fort Worth area expect that March 2011 will be one of the driest months on record. Light rain that that fell on the 29th brought the monthly total to 0.05 inches, making March 2011 the second driest March on record in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Star Telegram, Bill Hanna, March 26, 2011
March 30 – Wheat farmers in the Big Country have been hit hard by the current drought and corn farmers in Central Texas that have completed planting are in dire need of precipitation.
New Braunfels Herald, Greg Bowen, March 30, 2011
March 30 – Residents of North Central Texas are anticipating a hot and dry summer and much below normal precipitation since Tropical Storm Hermine last September has left the region with severe drought conditions.
Mckinney Courier Gazette, Danny Gallagher, March 30, 2011
March 31 – A major power outage in South Austin that left 6,000 residents without power was caused by light rain falling on dust and dirt that had accumulated on electrical equipment.
KGNB News, March 31, 2011
Fires
March 1 - 55 homes were destroyed by a wildfire in Amarillo area as winds reached nearly 70 mph, quickly spreading the fire across a barren landscape.
Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Karen Welch, March 1, 2011
March 4 – Officials in Huntsville reminded residents that while recent rains helped out, the area still has a high fire danger.
The Huntsville Item, Lisa Trow, March 4, 2011
March 9 – Nearly 8,000 acres of ranchland were burned in the Trans Pecos after a wildfire got out of control and spread by a dust devil.
Alpine Avalanche, Cindy Perry, March 9, 2011
March 10 – As of March 2011, the Texas Forest Service announced that 22 fires have burned 5,784 acres and 167 Texas counties were under burn bans.
San Angelo Standard Times, Staff, March 10, 2011
March 12 – Higher relative humidities and decreased winds helped fire fighters in Jack County get control over a wildfire that had already burned 7,555 acres and destroyed six homes.
Fort Worth Star Telegram, John Henry, March 12, 2011
March 13 – Fire weather officials in the South Plains says that improvements in the weather have helped in the containment existing wildfires.
Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Alyssa Dizon, March 13, 2011
March 14 – Officials say that recent light rains is not enough to stop wildfires from occurring.
KTEN News, Meredith Saldana, March 14, 2011
March 18 – Lots of water and Gatorade has been needed to keep firefighters in the Lower Valley hydrated as they battle wildfires in the hot and dry weather.
KGBT News, Katie Lopez, March 18, 2011
March 19 – Officials are not sure what started a grassfire that recently spread north of Lubbock, but fire fighters believe lightning is to blame for a wildfire that started near Shallowater.
FOX 34 News, March 19, 2011
March 21 – In one day alone, the Texas Forest Service responded to 8 fires covering 161 acres and say that several more wildfires are expected to crop up in the near future.
KETK News, Michael Wesp, March 21, 2011
March 24 – Officials believe lightning from an isolated thunderstorm is to blame for starting a grass fire in Jones County.
Abilene Reporter News, Greg Kendall-Ball, March 24, 2011
March 25 – A fire that burned 49 acres and for some time threatened nearly 60 homes in Hawley was sparked by a lightning strike.
Abilene Reporter News, Celinda Emison, March 25, 2011
March 27 – A cold front expected to push through the Big Country should give fire fighters a break and reduce the fire danger in the area.
Abilene Reporter News, Greg Kendall-Ball, March 27, 2011
March 28 – There is major concern in the Panhandle that the 2011 fire season may rival the devastating season of 2006, though the current drought conditions are less severe than those in 2006.
KFDA News, Angelina Perez, March 28, 2011
Water Supply
March 7 – With current drought conditions lowering water levels at O.H. Ivie Lake and leaving J.B. Thomas and E.V. Spence lakes nearly empty, the City of Odessa is asking residents not to waste water.
Odessa American, March 7, 2011
March 11 – The City Council in Boerne has decided to add drought stages to their drought response plan to allow the city to save more water in response to drought conditions.
The Boerne Star, March 11, 2011
March 17 – The current drought is threatening the water supply in the Permian Basin, so the cities of Midland, Abilene and San Angelo are planning on working together to save water.
NewsWest 9, Nick Lawton, March 17, 2012
March 18 – Levels in 30 of the wells monitored by Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District are now below their historic averages and in a Stage 3 drought.
The Boerne Star, Dave Pasley, March 18, 2011
March 18 – Comal County held a special workshop to teach residents about water conservation in order to help the county save water during the current drought.
KGNB News, March 18, 2011
March 19 – The Odessa City council will soon be voting on whether or not to approve a law that would put tougher water restrictions into place and stop year round water nuisances.
The Odessa American, March 22, 2011
March 20 – The Edwards Aquifer Authority says that water restrictions might soon be needed in Bexar County if the drought does not come to an end soon.
San Antonio Express News, Collin McDonald, March 20, 2011
March 21 – The Edwards Aquifer Authority states that the city of San Antonio could soon be under stage one water restrictions because of current drought conditions.
KENS News, Wendy Rigby, March 21, 2011
March 22 – Officials in Odessa say the city will officially be under water restrictions as of April 1.
Odessa American, Sarah Mueller, March 22, 2011
March 24 – Officials with the Edwards Aquifer say that the Aquifer is just 5 feet away from forcing the area to enact Stage 1 water restrictions.
KGNB News, March 24, 2011
March 26 - Midland residents are being asked to reduce their water needs to help save water during the current drought.
Midland Reporter Telegram, Kathleen Thurber, March 26, 2011
March 27 – Officials in San Antonio say that if there is no precipitation in the near future, they will be forced to enforce water restrictions.
KENS News, Nadia Ramdass, March 27, 2011
March 28 – The city of Austin has continued to use watering restrictions put in place during the 2009 drought and Austin Water hopes that the water saved during this period will help area lakes and streams.
KVUE News, Andrew Chung, March 28. 2011
March 30 – The Texas Water Development Board recently issued a troubling statement, "If the drought of record were to occur today, Texas would not have enough water to meet the needs of its people, its businesses and its agricultural enterprises."
Abilene Reporter News, Tim White, March 30, 2011
Agricultural Impacts
March 2 – Producers in Texas are hoping that the breeding of a drought-resistant cowpea strain will be beneficial during the drought.
The Sealy News, March 2, 2011
March 2 – Drought conditions, warm temperatures, high winds, and dusty skies are all hurting winter wheat, officials in the Big Country say.
Abilene Reporter News, Jerry Lackey, March 2, 2011
March 10 – Assistance for farmers in the Southern Plains may soon be available for those in 13 Southern Plains counties to help with damages caused by last year's flooding.
Lubbock Avalanche Journal, March 10, 2011
March 16 – Officials say that most of the “Cotton Belt” of the United States has been negatively impacted by ongoing drought conditions.
San Angelo Standard Times, Jerry Lackey, March 16, 2011
March 20 – Drought and mites have negatively impacted the outlook for wheat harvests this season.
San Angelo Standard Times, Jerry Lackey, March 20, 2011
March 23 – Cotton producers in San Angelo say that rains are needed in order for cotton harvest to start producing this year.
San Angelo Standard Times, Jerry Lackey, March 23, 2011
March 23 - Peach producers in Gillespie County say that it appears the peach crop has not been as badly damages by drought conditions as they once thought.
Fredricksburg Standard, March 23, 2011
March 24 – The latest drought monitor has placed Central Texas in the moderate to severe range and this has farmers working overtime to keep crops in the ground and to keep the ground fertile.
KXAN News, Natalie Stoll, March 24, 2011
March 28 – Farmers in Central Texas are concerned that a lack of rainfall in this critical time of year for planting will hurt their bottom line this year.
KYTX News, Joshua Skurnik, March 28, 2011
March 31 – A Fort Bend farmer has already seen damage to 3,600 acres of farmland and his winter wheat and cotton crops are in dire need of precipitation.
KTRK News, Kevin Quinn, March 31, 2011
Inclement Weather
Cold/ Winter Weather
March 6 – After a winter of full of cold, ice storms, and snowstorms, the City of Plano is seeking funding to buy more winter-weather equipment.
Plano Courier Star, Jessica Rush, March 6, 2011
March 11 – The Texas Education Agency is beginning to excuse many schools in the Dallas area for the snow days they missed this year; some schools missed as many as five days of school due to winter weather cancellations.
The Dallas Morning News, Karel Holloway, March 11, 2011
March 29 – A study by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas concluded that 152 of the 550 power generation facilities across the state crashed during the cold snap in early February.
Austin American Statesman, Eric Dexheimer, March 29, 2011
Flooding
March 26 – The Storm Watershed Management Division in Fort Worth is asking residents for help in finding a solution to flash flooding issues as the current pipes cannot support heavy rainfall events.
The 109, Jennifer Retter, March 26, 2011
Heat
March 10 – Even with constant reminders, Texas leads the nation in children's deaths inside cars when temperatures are high.
KENS News, Brian New, March 10, 2011
March 23 – A forecaster with the National Weather Service in North Texas says this summer could be very long with hotter and drier than normal weather anticipated.
The Dallas Morning News, Michael Young, March 23, 2011
Hurricanes
March 1 – Insurance companies announced recent updates to their wind models that assess wind risk for hurricane-prone states, which could mean an increase in insurance rates.
The Houston Chronicle, Purva Patel, March 1, 2011
March 5 – Heavy rain, strong winds, and cloud-to-ground lighting ripped through the Lower Valley.
Action 4 News, Jonathan Weant, March 5, 2011
March 6 – Strong winds in the El Paso area blew dust and sand across the city, significantly reducing visibilities. The strongest wind gust in the Borderland was reported at San Augustin Pass, clocking in at 91 mph.
KFOX 14 News, Sandra Diaz, March 6, 2011
March 13 – Nearly a quarter of an inch of rain was recorded in Corpus Christi after a severe storm accompanied by strong winds and hail blew through the area.
Corpus Christi Caller Times, Mark Collette, March 14, 2011
March 19 – A cold front that pushed through the Big Country dumped more than an inch of much-needed rain in areas around Abilene, with quarter-size hail was reported in Coke, Nolan, and Runnels counties.
Abilene Reporter News, Celinda Emison, March 19, 2011
Other Climate Impacts
Animals/ Aquatic Life
March 1 – Veterinarians in Amarillo say that dogs and cats that were caught in the path of a recent wildfire are suffering from heat and smoke-related illnesses.
NewsChannel 10, Diana Crawford, March 1, 2011
March 5 – Freezing temperatures that gripped the Coastal areas a month ago are still having a negative effect on several fish species, with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department estimating that 290,000 finfish were killed.
Houston Chronicle, Shannon Tompkins, March 5, 2011
March 10 – Officials say that drought conditions in 2009 have helped Nueces River white bass to start spawning early.
San Antonio Express News, Ralph Winingham, March 10, 2011
March 12 – This past winter's warm and dry weather has made it hard to find snakes in the Sweetwater area.
Abilene Reporter News, Mike Roark, March 12, 2011
March 13 –Texas A&M researchers think that this year’s very cold winter might have decreased the termite population for a second straight year.
The Daily News, Billie Dorman, March 13, 2011
March 23 – As temperatures have heated up going into spring, officials say that fire ants are being seen again in West Texas.
San Angelo Standard Times, Allison Watkins, March 23, 2011
March 31 – Biologists say that the increase in the reports of snakes being found in homes can largely be blamed on the ongoing drought.
KTRK News, Adela Uchida, March 31, 2011
March 31 – The Rio Grande turkey population in South Texas has increased in numbers during the past year thanks to significant precipitation during 2010.
San Marcos Daily Record, Jim Darnell, March 31, 2011
Construction
March 16- New Building codes put homes in risk of being hit by lightning.
KHOU News, Dave Fehling, March 16, 2011
Economics
March 9 – Residents in Bryan are seeing an increase in their electric bills after February's arctic blast.
KBTX News, Stephanie Palmer, March 9, 2011
March 15 – A judgment should be delivered soon to a Jefferson County man suing Entergy Texas for damages caused by an electrical shock he received after power was turned back on to his home after Hurricane Ike.
Southeast Texas Record, David Yates, March 15, 2011
March 25 – The Mayor in El Paso says he is disappointed that the city did not apply for federal assistance after the cold snap that hit this past winter.
KFOX14 News, Daniel Novick, March 25, 2011
Health/ Lifestyle
March 6 – Doctors in the Dallas area say that as long as cold weather is around, people will have to continue dealing with dry skin.
WFAA News, The Kid's Doctor, March 6, 2011
March 9 – Experts in San Antonio say that oak pollen is in the air in abundance and is dominating the spring allergy season.
WOAI News, John Gerard, March 9, 2011
March 14 – Nice weather year round in El Paso helped get the city ranked 7th in the United States as the "happiest city to work in"
KVIA News, Jennifer Myers, March 14, 2011
March 22 – Residents in San Antonio have been seeing a yellow dust associated with pollen accumulating on almost everything that has been left outdoors for an extended period of time.
KVUE News, Christopher Heath, March 22, 2011
March 26 – Dry conditions and warm temperatures have caused the pollen count in Jacksonville to increase, which in turn has increased problems for those who suffer from pollen allergies.<
Daily Progress, Tim Monzingo, March 26, 2011
Homes/Gardening/Trees
March 3 – Palm trees and Oleanders in El Paso were hit hard during the cold weather of February. Residents are worried that the strong winds accompanied by the freezing temperatures seen this past winter will completely destroy their Palm trees.
The El Paso Times, Chris Roberts, March 3, 2011
March 7 – Gardeners in Brownsville recommend replanting trees and shrubs destroyed by the freezing temperatures of February before the summer heat sets in.
The Brownsville Herald, Christopher Gamez, March 7, 2011
March 12 – Blue bonnet experts predict that this year’s blue bonnet season will be fair-to-average due to the ongoing drought.
Austin American Statesman, Collin Eaton, March 12, 2011
March 18 – The Sibley Nature Center Annual Plant Sale on April 2nd in Midland will feature a wide variety of drought-adapted and native plants.
Midland Reporter Telegram, Burr Williams, March 18, 2011
March 21 – Gardeners in the Dallas area are having more and more dead plants being revealed after February’s cold blast.
NBC5 News, Ken Kalthoff, March 21, 2011
Hunting/Fishing
March 16 – The current drought conditions have forced wild turkeys to gather around the limited available water supplies, which make it much easier for hunters to find the wild turkeys.
Houston Chronicle, Shannon Tompkins, March 16, 2011
March 26 – Most lakes in Texas are suffering from drought conditions and water levels are low, but there has not been a significant dip in the number of fish in Texas lakes.
San Angelo Standard Times, John Gill, March 26, 2011
March 5 – Cold weather welcomed those that attended the opening day of the Six Flags over Texas amusement park’s 50th anniversary season.
The Dallas Morning News, Jeffrey Weiss, March 5, 2011
Roads/Traffic/Travel
March 4 – A spokesperson for the Federal Administration Association at Hobby Airport in Houston believes that fog is likely to blame for a plane sliding 1000 feet off the end of the runway.
Houston Chronicle, Dale Lezon, March 4, 2011
March 28 – Low clouds and mist were present at the time of a plane crash that claimed the lives of a Lubbock firefighter and his parents.
Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Robin Pyle, March 28, 2011
