The increasingly hydrological nature of the drought is reflected in the growing number of water restrictions across the state. Notable are Frisco at Stage 3 and Fort Worth at Stage 1, with Corpus Christi delaying an inevitable Stage 3 upgrade. Cities near Midland are planning a $13 million water reclamation project to add 2 million gallons of daily production, Raymondville is purchasing $37,000 of agricultural water to avoid running out by the end of the month, and El Paso is having to wait on delayed discharge from Elephant Butte Reservoir due to low storage.
Several frontal passages have helped improve short-term conditions in the eastern and southern portions of the state, but not without their own problems. A storm system early in the month helped contribute to the low monthly average temperature, causing record lows in Houston and other parts of eastern Texas. Later storms brought heavy rain and flooding, cutting power to 19,000 people in Houston and killing two people in San Antonio, and an EF-4 tornado hit Granbury which destroyed over 100 homes and killed 6 people. The systems further caused dust storms in the west and school closings all across the state.
Damages from weather this month have been higher than the most recent few months. The Granbury tornado caused an estimated $34 million in damages. Instances of vehicular damage from hail and reduced visibility following the various storm systems were common. Even after the frontal passages, dry regions were subjected to low humidity and high winds, causing fires near Possum Kingdom Lake and presenting fire danger to several other regions around the state.
