Burn Bans
Drought
Monthly Change in Drought Monitor Classification
Lake Travis Still Rocky Bottom Reminder of Drought- Looking out across Lake Travis is a quick reminder that the drought is still severe. Last month’s rainfall was the most for April since 2008, but it only added a foot of water to the lake, which is still 39 feet below capacity. All boat docks are still closed on both Lake Buchanan and Travis causing many people to leave.
KVUE News, Heather Kovar, May 1, 2013
Heavy Rain Brings Partial relief to Area Drought- The most recent drought assessment lessens the severity of the drought across southeast Texas. This is due to a drenching of 5-8 inches of rain at the end of April. The majority of the state still remains in drought conditions.
KPRC News, Eric Braate, May 3, 2013
Community Wide Pray for Rain Assembly to be Held Wednesday- With stage 3 water restrictions in place in Wichita Falls the Inheritance Adoptions organization is holding a pray for rain assembly. The event organizers are turning to God so that rain may fall on the parched land.
KFDX News, Lindsey Wopschall, May 6, 2013
Texas Sized Drought- As of the latest drought monitor, 99% of the state is listed under some kind of drought condition. Lake levels are down all across north Texas, 95 counties already have a burn ban issued, and the North Texas Municipal Water District will implement Stage 3 water restrictions for over 1.5 million people on June 1.
KDAF News, Barry Carpenter, May 9, 2013
Recent Rains Fail to ease Drought- Nearly 4 inches of rain have fallen across Coryell County over the past two weeks raising the levels of the Leon River, but more rain is needed to replenish the reservoirs. Lake Belton is at 79% full, down from 100% a year ago. The Army Corps of Engineers says that the reason all of the rain failed to fill the reservoirs was because the land was so dry that it absorbed most of the rainfall. Between 6 and 9 inches of rain is needed to escape the drought.
Killeen Daily Herald, Tim Orwig, May 18, 2013
Wildfire
Major Texas Wildfire Mostly Contained- In the same ravaged area as in 2011 near Possum Kingdom Lake a short lived wildfire broke-out and was contained on Wednesday. Approximately 40 acres were burned and 30 homes were evacuated as a precaution.
KWTX News, May 15, 2013
Water Supply
City of Amarillo Kicks off “Every Drop Counts” Campaign- With summer on the way and the drought still persisting the city of Amarillo began its publicity campaign to encourage citizens to conserve water. About 94% of the city’s water comes from the Ogallala Aquifer, which is rapidly depleting.
KFDA News, May 7, 2013
Raymondville’s Dwindling Water Supply to last through Mid-to-late May- The agricultural water supply for Raymondville is drying up quickly with water only to last until the end of May. To help extend the water supply the city purchased $37,000 in water. A major part the problem is Mexico’s refusal to honor their end of the 1944 US-Mexico Water Treaty.
KIII News, May 10, 2013
City to Provide Water to Surrounding Areas if Drought Persists- Corpus Christi has announced that as water supplies dry up they will continue to provide water supplies to surrounding communities. A proposed pipeline project from the Colorado River would also be shared by the region as well.
KIII News, May 10, 2013
Big Spring Plant Turns Sewage into Tap Water- The water district serving Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, Snyder, and Stanton has begun a $13 million reclamation project to turn sewage water into treated tap water. This will add as much as 2 million gallons of clean water to the drought stricken area’s daily water production.
KTRK News, May 13, 2013
Conserve Water Now or get Restrictions Later- The borderlands are in a severe drought and water supplies are limited across the region. The usual water release from Elephant Butte Reservoir has to be delayed until June 1 because it is only at 7% capacity. City officials urge people to conserve water so that this resource may last as long as possible.
KTSM News, Russ Pappas, May 13, 2013
Frisco moves to Stage 3 Water Restrictions- On June 1 Frisco and the other cities in the North Texas Municipal Water District will move to stage 3 water restrictions. These place limits on the amount of water a resident can use and limit landscape watering to trash days alone. Violations will result in fines and the disconnection of irrigation systems.
The Frisco Enterprise, May 17, 2013
City Announces Delay of Stage 3 Water Restrictions- In a time when water restrictions increase across the state Corpus Christi has delayed stage 3 water restrictions. After a recent round of rain the city decided to delay water restrictions for another 30 days, but officials say that citizens should prepare for restrictions in the future.
KIII News, May 20, 2013
Fort Worth Implements Stage 1 Water Restrictions- As supply levels dip past 75% the city of Fort Worth will begin stage 1 water restrictions on June 3. These restrictions will limit outdoor watering and encourages conservation from everyone in the district.
KXAS News, Frank Heinz, May 21, 2013
Inclement Weather
Cold/ Winter Weather
Record Cold Outbreak Hits East Texas- A bitterly cold airmass moved into east Texas, breaking years old records will bring a record low of 41 degrees for May 3. Strong 15-20 mph north winds made the air feel like it was in the lower 30s.
KETK News, Scott Chesner, May 3, 2013
Houston’s Cold Front Sets Record Low for May- The Houston area set an all-time low for the month of May of 42 degrees, breaking the old record of 44.
The Houston Chronicle, Brian Rogers, May 4, 2013
Flooding/Rainfall
Heavy Rain, Floods Pound Houston- Several inches of rain fell on the Houston area overnight and into the morning, quickly filling low lying areas and streets with water. Several people were in need of high water rescue by the Houston Fire Department and nearly 19,000 Houstonians are without power.
KIAH News, May 10, 2013
Brazoria County Areas Hit with Heavy Rains, Tornado Warnings- Severe thunderstorms passing over caused flooding and prompted the National Weather Service to issue a tornado warning for those near Alvin. With rainfall rates as much as 2 inches per hour street flooding is expected and officials warn people to be aware of high water on the roads.
The Friendswood Journal, Jim Molony, May 10, 2013
Lumberton Flooding Concerns Homeowners- The city of Lumberton saw a deluge of over 9.5 inches of rain on the 10, flooding many streets and putting water into people’s homes. The city even began to hand out sandbags when the drainage system began to become backlogged with water. Residents are concerned about the backlog but city officials say that they are doing as much as they can do given the circumstances.
KIII News, Vanessa Holmes, May 20, 2013
2 Women Dead in San Antonio Flooding- Over 9 inches of rain fell on San Antonio Saturday morning alone, prompting many roads to be closed and many people to be rescued from floodwaters. Several buildings were inundated by water and two women were killed when their vehicles were swept away by floodwaters. The rain event is being compared with the record breaking event in 1998 associated with Hurricane Madeline.
CNN, Greg Botelho, May 25, 2013
Recent Rains Fill Natural Bridge Caverns, but not for Long- After a week of soaking rains the dry natural bridge caverns outside of Austin refilled with water. The Edwards Aquifer, which feeds the cave, rose over 15 feet, and water filled the cave quickly enough to cover the main pathway.
YNN Austin, Russell Wilde, May 30, 2013
Severe Weather
Strong Cold Front Brings Storms, Damage to Big Country- A powerful cold front pushed through the big country firing up storms along it. The storms produced strong winds causing some roof damage in Albany with wind gusts exceeding 60 mph.
KTXS News, Julie Phillips, May 2, 2013
Severe Storms Bring Sizable Hail to Parts of Central Texas- A late season cold front sent storms popping up across central Texas dropping baseball sized hail in Fredericksburg and causing many power outages across the region. The Temple Fire Department is asking people to be aware of debris that may have been blown about during the storm.
YNN Austin, May 10, 2013
Granbury Tornado: Deadliest North Texas Tornado Since 1957- On May 15, 16 confirmed tornadoes dropped down across North Texas, the deadliest, an EF-4, hit Granbury damaging 100 homes and killing 6 people. Most of the tornadoes were small but the Granbury tornado and the Cleburne Tornado, rated EF-3 and damaged 200 homes, caused the majority of the damage. Winds in the Granbury tornado were rated at over 180 mph and was the deadliest since the 1957 “Big D” tornado.
The Examiner, Steve Lanore, May 17, 2013
Strong Storms Move Through North Texas- A tornado touched down in South Young County late in the evening on Friday causing minimal damage. The same storm dropped tennis ball sized hail and larger near Graham, Texas.
KBTX News, Kailey Carey, May 17, 2013
Small hail, Street Flooding Reported during Overnight Storms North of Houston- Heavy rains caused street flooding in Montgomery and Grimes county on Tuesday night, and the storms even prompted a tornado warning after a funnel cloud was spotted. Lightning is believed to have caused a small garage fire near Magnolia and small hail fell across the area.
KHOU News, May 22, 2013
Storms with High Winds, Hail Rake the Big Country- Late in the evening on May 23 ,a round of strong storms moved through the Big Country producing heavy rains, small hail, and high winds in excess of 60 mph. The storms knocked out power to many for a short time and blew down trees of pieces of roofs.
KTXS News, May 24, 2013
Dust Hits Lubbock but Storm Misses- A dust storm built off of an severe storm’s outflow boundary dropped visibility in Lubbock to under a mile on Thursday. The storms missed Lubbock County but did produce a tornado near Floydada with strong winds and hail.
The Lubbock Avalanche Journal,Adam Young, Brittany Hoover, Jennifer Loesch, May 24, 2013
Storms Leave Texas Panhandle Residents Reeling- Severe storms rolled across the panhandle leaving damage in its wake. Windows were burst out of vehicles by hail, and heavy rains stranded 4 to 6 motorists in high water in need of rescue.
KFDA News, May 29, 2013
Other Climate Impacts
Erwin Center and Area Hospitals Prepared for Severe Weather- After the Moore, Oklahoma tornado St. David’s Medical Center has been planning for the worst by making sure that they are prepared for a tornado strike. The Erwin Center, which is preparing for a Taylor Swift concert, has also prepared a worst case scenario plan to shelter in place or evacuate if the situation calls for it.
KXAN News, May 21, 2013
Academics
Dallas Catholic Diocese Dismisses School Ahead of N TX Storms and Possible Tornadoes- One day after the massive Moore, Oklahoma tornado destroyed two schools, the Dallas Catholic Diocese is taking no chances with the weather. As the chance for severe weather moves into the DFW area 28 schools have been dismissed early for safety concerns.
KERA News, BJ Austin, May 21, 2013
Severe Weather Threat Closes Schools Early- With the threat of severe weather and the thoughts of Moore fresh on the minds of administrators several schools across North Texas were dismissed early or canceled afterschool activities. These schools included those in Alvarado ISD, Carroll ISD, Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth and Dallas, Cleburne ISD, Dallas ISD, Episcopal School of Dallas, Godley ISD, Greenhill Schools Dallas, Grand Prairie ISD, Grace Academy Dallas, Grandview ISD, HEB ISD, Irving ISD, Mansfield ISD, Shelton School, Red Oak ISD, Stephenville ISD, Westwood School.
KTVT News, May 21, 2013
Animals/Aquatic Life
Gators are ‘scattering like roaches’ here- With the excess of rains providing ample habitat for alligators, they are spreading to cover more area than usual. The gators are using flooded land and puddles as ways of getting in and around the region, but activity will die down by June with the end of mating season.
The Beaumont Enterprise, Brooke Crum, Dale Lezon, May 23, 2013
Economics
In Wake of Severe Storms, N. Texans Look to Safe Rooms- After the destruction in Granbury and Cleburne many North Texans are turning to pre-constructed safe rooms which are built to withstand tornado force winds. The rooms, which cost thousands of dollars, are seen as a small investment towards the safety of loved ones.
WFAA News, Steve Stoler, May 17, 2013
City Leaders Respond to Drought Concerns- The owner of Smith’s Gardentown & Farms has contacted the Wichita Falls city council and blames their overzealous water conservation on her businesses demise. City officials refuse to take the blame and assure that their motivations were solely for the protection of the community.
KAUZ News, Tanya deJesus, May 28, 2013
A Hail of a Sale? Amarillo Car Lots ready to Deal- Hundreds of vehicles were damaged by hail at panhandle area car dealerships warranting deep discounts. The damage is minor, but enough to get customers excited about prices.
Amarillo Globe News, Eboni Graham, May 29, 2013
Tornado-Ripped Granbury Continues to Recover- Two weeks after an EF-4 Tornado damaged over 100 homes in Granbury the cleanup continues. The damage assessed for the city did not surpass $34 million, so the city did not qualify for federal assistance, but all of the damage can be overwhelming for those who lived in the path of the storm. Electricity and water are still out for the affected area and should be returned within the next few weeks.
KXAS News, Chris Van Home, Ben Russell, May 30, 2013
Politics
Gov. Perry Signs Milestone Texas Water Legislation- On Monday Governor Perry signed the massive $2 billion water resource house bill for allowing for new water resources for the state. This is all contingent upon voter ratification during the November election.
The Fort Worth Star Telegram, Dave Montgomery, May 28, 2013
Recreation/Leisure/Athletics
“Parrotheads” Brave the Cold After Buffett Concert Gets Postponed- A strong cold front pushed through the Austin area bringing strong winds and unseasonably cold temperatures to the Austin area. The cold forced event planners to postpone the Jimmy Buffett concert planned for that evening and gave a chilly night for those tailgating.
KXAN News, May 2, 2013
Storms Bring Damaging lightning, Delay Art Car Parade- Two rounds of storms moved through Houston on Saturday, delaying the popular Art Car parade by a few hours. The storms also brought lightning that destroyed a home in Richmond and struck a city employee sending him to the hospital in critical condition.
The Houston Chronicle, Dale Lezon, Eric Berger, May 10, 2013
Does El Paso have a Drought Resistant Water Park?- Wet n’ Wild water park in El Paso has prided itself on recycling water. The park has its own source of water with deep wells drilled on the property. The only water the park purchases is from Anthony, Texas and that is for food and restrooms.
KTSM News, Russ Pappas, May 27, 2013
A Rainy Night at the Ballpark in Arlington- Severe storms moved across Arlington right before the start of the Rangers-Diamondbacks game forcing a delay to a later date. The winds were even strong enough to pull the tarp away from the ground crew.
WFAA News, May 30, 2013
Roads/Traffic/ Travel
Rain and Hail in Nolan County- Two wrecks were reported possibly due to poor weather conditions in Nolan County when an 18 wheeler jackknifed on I-20 and a vehicle crashed near K-Mart. The wrecks may have been due to heavy rains and pea sized hail that was falling at the time.
The Sweetwater Reporter, May 10, 2013
