Burn Bans

Drought

Monthly Change in Drought Monitor Classification

West Texas ranchers cope with cattle theft after drought -- Now that the drought-like conditions are diminishing across the state, some ranchers are dealing with thieves that are stealing cattle. During the drought, some ranchers had to sell their entire herd away. Now that conditions are more favorable for raising cattle, a lot of thefts are being reported. There are rumors that ranchers are stealing back their cattle that they lost during the drought years.
WFAA, Angela Kocherga, May 3, 2015

Further drought relief ahead -- Meteorologists from the National Weather Service in the DFW area are anticipating a lot of disturbances to move through the Texas area that will further help alleviate the drought conditions. They also warn the risk of flooding as heavy rain could occur in some areas for a long period of time.
The Denton Record Chronicle, Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe, May 4, 2015

Recent rains ends worst of years-old Texas drought -- The heavy downpours and flooding may have been bad in the short-term, but it has cured a long-term problem for some areas of Texas. For the first time since 2012, there are no more counties in the exceptional drought category. Houston and Corsicana saw over 10 inches of rain in the last week.
KXAN, Staff Writer, May 14, 2015

Rain, flooding helping Texas get out of drought -- The rain may be causing flooding, but it is doing wonders to alleviate the drought conditions and raise the lake levels. Water is actually overflowing at Lake Ray Roberts and people near it may have to evacuate their homes. Three years ago there was barely any water in it, and now there’s too much water.
WFAA, Carla Wade, May 15, 2015

Rain improves drought conditions in Texas -- The recent heavy rains have done some good for portions of the state as there are no longer any areas under extreme drought. The last time that there were no areas under extreme drought was in November of 2010. Only 15 percent of the state remains in a drought category.
KWTX, Staff Writer, May 21, 2015

Texas goes from extreme drought to floods in 3 weeks -- At the beginning of the month, portions of north Texas were still in an extreme drought and some were in an exceptional drought. The recent influx of rainfall has rid the state of those drought categories and only 15 percent of the state remains in a drought. Some are calling this a historic rainfall event that doesn’t show signs of letting up soon.
The Dallas Sun Times, Kaley Fowler, May 22, 2015

Clear weather arrives for flood-ravaged Texas -- Drier weather is finally in the forecast for the state of Texas after a month of drought busting rainfall for the majority of the state. Only 5 percent of the state remains in a drought, which is the lowest that number has been since October of 2010. 31 lives were lost due to the flooding and severe weather experienced across the state this month. This was the wettest month ever in the history of Texas.
NBC News, Matthew Grimson, May 31, 2015

Water Supply

NTX Lakes near full; Drought easing -- A wetter than normal spring is helping some lakes in North Texas get near their capacity. The Texas Water Development Board is reporting that most North Texas lakes are 90 to 100% full. Lake Lewisville is actually too full, and the Army Corps of Engineers are having to release some of the water in it. For the first time in many years, Lake Ray Roberts in Denton County is only 5 inches away from being full.
NBC DFW, Brian Scott, May 1, 2015

Texas’ good rains benefit lake levels statewide -- In the months of March and April, Texas as a whole received 200 percent of its normal rainfall, which boosted lake levels from 65 percent full from the beginning of February to 74 percent full. Lakes around the Dallas area have seen the biggest increase in capacity, going from 65 percent to 94 percent.
KEYE, Staff Writer, May 1, 2015

Water shortage spurs legislative concern -- Even with the abnormal amounts of rainfall occurring around the state, ranchers in Longview feel that they still aren’t back where they need to be. At the 84th session of the Texas Legislature, the Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is opposing a bill that would require groundwater conservation districts to specially treat power plants that have groundwater wells. This would cause wells used for irrigation to make reductions.
The Longview News Journal, Jay Evans, May 2, 2015

City gets drenching, lakes barely improve -- Wichita Falls received over 2.5 inches of rain, but the lakes around the city barely increased. Lake Kickapoo rose about 3 inches but still remains at 28 percent of capacity. Wichita Falls remains under Stage 5 Drought Catastrophe water use restrictions.
The Times Record News, Lynn Walker, May 6, 2015

Wichita Falls eases water use restrictions after recent rains -- After the recent influx of heavy rain in Wichita Falls, the water restrictions have been allowed to be downgraded. A Stage 5 Drought Catastrophe water restriction was in effect since 2014 but has now become a Stage 3 Drought Emergency water restriction. The reservoirs in the area have increased from 22 percent to 54 percent.
KWTX, Staff Writer, May 20, 2015

May Wettest Month Ever In Texas -- Rain has been a common sight throughout the state for this month, and that has paid big dividends in ending the drought. This is the wettest month on record in Texas’ history, averaging 7.54 inches. The previous record was 6.66 inches set back in June of 2004. About 5 percent of the state remains in a drought as a result of the historic rainfall.
Texas A&M Today, Keith Randall, May 27, 2015

Agriculture

Severe weather causing damage, but rain welcomed by farmers -- The severe weather across North Texas has created some good business opportunities for roof repair companies and car shops, but it is also helping out farmers. The rain that has been falling is increasing the soil moisture in North Texas, which is making it easier on farmers that are growing crops.
The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Denise Marquez, May 4, 2015

Storm rips through North Texas sanctuary but animals see happy ending -- An animal sanctuary in Murchison, which is 70 miles to the southeast of Dallas, was hit hard from the storms that brought strong winds and flooding. It suffered major property loss with fences and pastures being damaged. The good news is that none of the animals suffered any major injuries.
Dallas Culture Map, Teresa Gubbins, May 17, 2015

Inclement Weather

Severe Weather

3.2 magnitude quake rattles North Texas -- An earthquake occurred in Irving and Northwest Dallas in the early morning hours that shook many of the residents there. Some claim that they felt the earthquake in the middle of a religious service. There have been more than 60 earthquakes recorded in the area since 2010.
WFAA, Staff Writer, May 3, 2015

Extreme weather leads to high water rescues, road closures, and other problems -- Heavy rainfall in a short period of time is causing flooding around the Lubbock area. Lubbock Fire Rescue responded to nearly 50 calls in 4 hours, some of which were from stranded motorists and one was a high-water rescue. In Lynn County, Tahoka recorded nearly 5 inches of rain for the day.
KLBK Staff Writer, May 4, 2015

Two days, four earthquakes in North Texas -- More earthquakes were felt around the Dallas area, with the latest one being a 2.7 magnitude. The epicenter was located six miles to the east-northeast of Irving. There were no reports of damage or injuries as a result.
WFAA, Staff Writer, May 4, 2015

Tornado touches down near Luther -- Severe weather has returned once again to Texas with a tornado touching down near Luther in the afternoon hours. There were no reports of damage to homes, but there was damage to power lines and telephone poles.
KWES, Staff Writer, May 5, 2015

Crews rescue woman from water in Elgin -- A woman that drove through deep water on Littig Road in the Elgin area had to be rescued. The water swept her car away and she got out and sat on top of the car to call 911 to be rescued. The woman was taken in to the hospital to be evaluated. As of right now she is stable and okay.
KVUE, Tina Shively, May 6, 2015

More rain today, flooding risk -- More rain is being expected to occur in North Texas with another storm system moving through. With the grounds already saturated, the threat of flooding is still there. Meteorologists are anticipating some of the storms could be on the strong to severe side and bring along heavy downpours.
KAUZ, John Cameron, May 7, 2015

Tornadoes, flooding hit North Texas -- At least two tornadoes touched down in North Texas in Wise County. The National Weather Service classified both of these tornadoes as an EF-1 which has winds near 100 mph. The first tornado occurred in the Boyd area and the second one was near Fairview. A third tornado was reported to the northeast of Krum.
WFAA, Staff Writer, May 7, 2015

Denton Gas Well burns after lightning strike -- A lightning strike caused a gas well in Denton to explode around 10:00 pm. The gas well belonged to Vantage Energy and was previously used for gas drilling but was shut down due to low production. Firefighters decided to let the fire burn itself out, which lasted into the early morning hours on the next day.
CBS DFW, Staff Writer, May 7,2015

Severe storms in Cooke County cause flooding, damage -- Residents of Cooke County dealt with a round of severe weather that caused roads to be flooded and even spawned tornadoes. Tornadoes were reported in Wise, Denton, and Cooke counties causing damage but no injuries immediately reported. Roads near DFW International Airport were also flooded due to the storms.
Gainesville Daily Register, Staff Writer, May 8, 2015

At least 1 dead as two tornadoes touch down in North Texas -- A tornado touched down in Cisco, TX and killed one person and injured three others. The tornado occurred 3 miles to the south of Cisco and caused heavy damage to fences, trees, and other structures. The storm that it was associated with dropped hail as large as oranges.
ABC News, Dan Peck, May 9 2015

Widespread flash flooding in North Texas -- The heavy rains is causing widespread flash flooding to occur around the DFW area. This warranted the National Weather Service to issue a Flash Flood Warning for the area. A bridge over Oliver Creek in Denton County was damaged by the flood waters as debris got caught underneath it.
WFAA, Phillip Townsend, May 9, 2015

Tornado leaves trail of damage in Denton County -- A tornado caused roofs to be torn off of houses and uprooted trees near Denton. There were several reports of EF-1 type damage from the Denton area, especially in a subdivision near Moss Creek Road and U.S. 377. The most damage was reported near Mill Street and High School Drive in Denton.
NBC DFW, Staff Writer, May 10, 2015

Army helicopter rescues residents from flood waters -- A pregnant woman and her baby were rescued from their home as flood waters surrounded them. Hickory Creek was the cause of it as it overflowed its banks due to heavy downpours. The pregnant woman stated that the water in her home went up to two feet in 10 minutes.
WFAA, Todd Unger, May 10, 2015

Fatalities confirmed after severe storms in Van -- Sad news out of Van, Texas as fatalities were confirmed after a tornado moved through the area. Two deaths were confirmed in the town that is home to 2,600 people. The tornado had moved through the city in the early morning hours so it was expected that not many people were awake to get the warning.
The Longview News-Journal, Staff Writer, May 11, 2015

1 dead after heavy storms, floods in Corsicana -- Corsicana received an unbelievable and record amount of rainfall, which left one person dead. Nearly 11 inches of rain was recorded in one night in the area, which of course led to flooding. One man had to rescued after his car had been swept away by the floodwaters that turned roads into rivers.
NBC DFW, Josh Ault, May 11, 2015

Disaster declared in Van Zandt, other counties -- Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for the Texas counties of Bosque, Clay, Denton, Eastland, Gaines, Montague, and Van Zandt. This allows for further mobilization of state resources to assist these communities especially for the cities of Van and Cisco that had fatalities as a result of tornadoes.
The Tyler Morning Telegraph, Staff Writer, May 12, 2015

Tornado that hit Van was EF3 -- National Weather Service meteorologists confirmed that the tornado that moved through Van was an EF3. This tornado killed two residents and injured 47 others. EF3 tornadoes have estimated wind speeds between 136 and 165 mph. Authorities believe the lives were lost due the limited time between the warning and the tornado moving through.
The Tyler Morning Telegraph, Kenneth Dean, May 12, 2015

Flash Flood Warning issued for SE Texas Counties -- A Flash Flood Warning was issued for southern Harris County and northern Galveston County due to slow moving heavy downpours just south of downtown Houston. The rainfall rates in the storm were 3 inches per hour. Webster and Friendswood picked up nearly 4 inches of rain in a matter of hours.
The Houston Chronicle, John-Henry Perera, May 12, 2015

Heavy rain swamps parts of Houston area, vehicles abandoned -- Slow moving heavy rain caused a lot of flooding around the Houston area, especially around Clear Lake where there was nearly 10 inches of rain. Emergency crews had to search for a man that was believed to have to been swept away by the waters. Meteorologists stated that this kind of rainfall only happens once every 500 years.
The Houston Chronicle, Staff Writer, May 13, 2015

Two days of torrential rain creates flooding nightmare in the Houston area -- With 10 inches of rain falling across the Houston area, it caused a lot of flooding problems. Webster and Clear Lake had the biggest problems with flooding with cars being submerged and impassable roads. Many people had to leave their cars in the water to get to a safer location.
The Washington Post, Angela Fritz, May 14, 2015

Tornado, hail reported in Donley County -- Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Amarillo received reports of a tornado touching down near Lelia Lake in Donley County. There were also reports of golf ball and ping pong ball sized hail from the same storm. The tornado has not yet been confirmed.
The Amarillo Globe-News, Vanessa Garcia, May 16, 2015

Water rescues increase as North Texas soaking continues -- The floodwaters has caused a lot of issues for the North Texas area. Several water rescues were conducted as a result of people getting stuck in high water. The American Red Cross helped some families get a hotel room since their homes were flooded.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Domingo Ramirez Jr., May 17, 2015

Large Tornado collapses building in Mineral Wells, TX -- A large tornado caused an abandoned building in Mineral Wells to collapse. The building was located behind the Baker Hotel. Thankfully no injuries were reported as a result of the tornado. There are numerous reports of damage to trees and buildings.
NBC News, Alex Johnson, May 19, 2015

One injured after tornado touches down near Giddings -- A tornado touched down in Lee County near Giddings in the afternoon hours and injured one person. The tornado damaged a Ramada Hotel and officials say that the person was injured by debris coming through the window. The tornado was confirmed to be an EF0 with estimated winds at 80 mph.
KVUE, Eleanor Beck, May 19, 2015

Runaway Bay homes destroyed by twister -- In the nighttime hours in Runaway Bay, a tornado touched down and caused damage to many homes. Residents stated that they could hear the roar of the tornado although they could not see it because it was rain-wrapped. There were no reports of injuries but about half a dozen homes were destroyed in Runaway Bay.
CBS DFW, Jennifer Lindgren, May 20, 2015

Flooding expected with heavy rains moving in late -- WIth a band of heavy rain looking to move its way through north Texas after water level are already high, experts are saying that flooding is expected. Up to 4 inches of rain could fall and cause flooding especially in low lying areas. Driving is discouraged in the morning time due to the anticipated flooding.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Mark David Smith, May 23, 2015

Many residents displaced after tornado hits Southwest Houston apartment complex -- An EF1 tornado moved through southwest Houston in the early morning hours. There were two people that were injured as a result when an apartment building collapsed as the tornado moved through. 11 buildings in the apartment complex were condemned due to the amount of damage received from the storm.
KTRK, Tracy Clemons, May 24, 2015

Mandatory evacuation orders canceled for Montgomery County households around dam -- A mandatory evacuation order was issued for residents living near the Lewis Creek Reservoir in Montgomery County, but it has since been lifted. It was due to heavy rain moving over the already full reservoir that was close to going over its banks, so authorities evacuated residents as a precaution.
KTRK, John Fenoglio, May 24, 2015

12 people missing after flash flooding along river in Central Texas -- After heavy rain moved into central Texas, a dozen people went missing due to the flash flooding that occurred along the Blanco River. The floodwaters also damaged hundreds of homes in the area as well.
Newser, Staff Writer, May 25, 2015

1 killed in tornado near Cameron -- A tornado moved through Milam County near the city of Cameron where it killed one man and injured six others. The tornado also uprooted several trees and damaged nearly 20 homes. The Sheriff in Milam County described the tornado as “pretty destructive.”
The Eagle, Staff Writer, May 25, 2015

Five confirmed deaths following Houston-area flooding -- At least 5 people were killed and two people are missing after severe flooding occurred in the Houston area. Most of the deaths occurred due to people getting stuck in their submerged cars after driving into high floodwaters. The two missing people were in the process of being rescued as the boat capsized. The southwest side of Houston saw as much as a foot of rainfall.
KRIV, Carolina Sanchez, May 26, 2015

Four tornadoes touched down in Central Texas, Weather Service says -- The National Weather Service confirmed that four tornadoes touched down in the Central Texas area on Memorial Day. The only fatal tornado happened in Milam County when an EF-2 tornado destroyed a mobile home with an elderly man inside. The other three tornadoes were all recorded as EF-1’s.
KWTX, Nathan Gogo, May 27, 2015

Serious injuries reported after tornado hits Texas drilling rig -- In Northwest Texas, a tornado touched down in Hemphill County near Canadian and damaged a gas drilling rig. Some of the workers on the rig were seriously injured. Reportedly three people were seriously injured as a result of the tornado but all of them are expected to make a full recovery.
KAGS, Staff Writer, May 28, 2015

Residents along Texas rivers urged to leave amid flood threat -- The recent rains have caused rivers to swell with excess water which is causing concern for residents living near them due to the fear of them going over their banks. In Wharton, southwest of Houston, officials asked the residents who live on the west side of the city to voluntarily evacuate due to predicted rise of the Colorado River. 350 homes in Fort Worth to the west of the Brazos River were given mandatory evacuation orders.
Fox News, Staff Writer, May 28, 2015

Record breaking rain floods North Texas -- More rain falling across North Texas has created a dangerous situation for many people as homes and cars flooded. Hundreds of drivers were stranded on Loop 12 for nearly six hours as high water covered the roads. Nearly 300 calls to emergency services were made that included people trapped in cars as well as several accidents.
NBC DFW, Todd Davis, May 29, 2015

Other Climate Impacts

Academics

West Texas storms flood roads, close schools -- Takhoma ISD canceled classes for the day after 7 inches of rainfall caused numerous roads to be flooded. The National Weather Service stated that Takhoma had received 6.9 inches of rain within 24 hours. Lubbock even set a rainfall record with 3.42 inches of rain being recorded.
KWTX, Staff Writer, May 5, 2015

Tuesday school weather delays -- As a result of the flooding in the Corpus Christi area, several schools either delayed or canceled class for the day. Port Aransas ISD and West Oso ISD delayed classes until 10 a.m. while Rivera ISD canceled classes for the entire day.
KIII, Staff Writer, May 12, 2015

School delays, Flash Flood Warning in effect -- More heavy downpours in Corpus Christi is causing more school delays due to flooding. The intersection of Saratoga Boulevard and Greenwood Drive was reported to be impassable. The flooding even caused a wastewater spill near the Greenwood Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The Corpus Christi Caller Times, Elaine Marsilio, May 13, 2015

Graduations, festivals adjust for potential severe weather -- The University of North Texas had to move its graduation indoors due to the threat of severe weather. With nearly 20,000 people expected to be in attendance, it was best to keep everyone safe and move the ceremonies to a safer location.
WFAA, David Goins, May 16, 2015

School resumes in tornado-ravaged Texas town -- School finally resumed in Van where a tornado killed two people and injured 47 others more than a week ago. Those in grades four through 12 were able to return back to school, while those in pre-kindergarten through third grade are unable to go to school due to the schools being severely damaged.
KWTX, Staff Writer, May 18, 2015

Severe weather forces UT to postpone commencement -- The commencement on graduation day for the University of Texas did not go as planned due to numerous thunderstorms moving through the area. Officials took the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe, and graduation ceremonies for individual colleges were able to continue as planned.
KTBC, Bridget Spencer, May 23, 2015

Roads/Traffic/Travel

North Texas derailment leaves four BNSF railway workers injured -- The severe weather moving across the state caused a train to derail in North Texas. This occurred near Valley View, which is 50 miles to the northwest of Dallas. Four train engines and 13 of the cars derailed. Four crew members were injured during the derailment.
KTRK, Staff Writer, May 8, 2015

North Texas weather cancels flights -- The severe weather around the DFW area caused numerous flights in and out of the airport to be canceled. Many families trying to get back home from McAllen-Miller International Airport were stuck due to flights being canceled to North Texas.
Valley Central, Elizabeth Espinosa, May 10, 2015

Severe weather causes flooding, road closures -- In East Texas, heavy rainfall caused roads to flood which warranted them into being shut down. FM 317, FM 616, and FM 773 were all shut down due to flooding. Henderson County is closely monitoring the conditions on FM 2636 in case they need to shut it down as well.
KLTV, Gabby Sims, May 11, 2015

Road Closures: Flooding updates -- In Grimes County, the northbound side of Highway 6 at Beason Creek is closed due to flooding along with FM 976 in Burleson County. In Madison County, FM 247 is also closed due to it being impassable by the floodwaters.
KAGS, Staff Writer, May 18, 2015

Nobody hurt as high water pushes school bus off Texas road -- The heavy rain is not only causing evacuations due to high water, but also dangerous driving conditions as a school bus driver found out. The incident occurred on Highway 144 near Texas Motor Speedway near Fort Worth. Reportedly, water came across the road and just swept the bus off the highway. There were no kids on board the bus at the time, and the driver suffered no injuries.
KXXV, Staff Writer, May 21, 2015

1 killed, 2 injured in I-30 crash in Rockwall -- In the city of Rockwall, weather is believed to have played a factor into a car accident that killed one person and injured two others. An 18-wheeler lost control due to the wet roads and veered into opposing traffic. I-30 was shut down for a few hours as a result of the accident.
The Dallas Morning News, Claire Cardona, May 24, 2015

Overnight severe weather causes dam break, road closures in East Texas -- There were several traffic problems as a result of the weather in the morning hours. County Road 3104 was closed due to high water and the dam of a private pond of County Road 448 failed. This caused water to spill onto County Road 455 and 452. Both roads have since been reopened.
KLTV, Kerri Compton, May 27, 2015

Massive sinkhole appears in Texas after flooding -- In Liberty, a sinkhole has formed due to the recent amounts of rain the state has been getting. The sinkhole appeared near the San Jacinto River, which could overflow its banks by the 30th. The mayor of Wharton is expected to issue a mandatory evacuation for homes to those on the western side of the town.
WDAM, Staff Writer, May 29, 2015

Recreation/Leisure/Athletics
Severe weather impacting some state parks -- The severe weather isn’t only affecting schools and businesses, it is also affecting state parks. The boat ramp and campgrounds at Caddo Lake State Park were closed due to being flooded. Also at Dinosaur Valley State Park, the hiking trails were closed due to the flooding.
KVUE, Staff Writer, May 15, 2015

Warm weather brings out nasty animal parasites -- Warm and humid weather isn’t ideal for humans or pets to want to go outside in. However, it is perfect for parasites to thrive in. Heartworms love warm and humid weather which are the most dangerous parasites that dogs can contract. Experts say that Harris County has a high risk of heartworm infections in dogs with one in 27 contracting it.
The Houston Chronicle, Rebecca Hennes, May 20, 2015
Rains in Texas aggravate mosquito menace in Tarrant County -- The recent rains across Texas have helped alleviate drought conditions, but they have also increased the amount of mosquitoes. Experts are predicting that it could be a bad summer with an abnormally high amount of mosquitoes, especially if the state continues on its streak of heavy rainfall.
Maine News Online, Tanya Campbell, May 22, 2015

Bad weather causes delays, rule changes at Colonial -- The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial was delayed by three hours due to heavy rain that was moving through the area. Some golfers claimed that the weather was more fitting for Ireland rather than for Texas. The tournament continued without interruption for the rest of the day.
WFAA, Ted Madden, May 22, 2015

Flooding strands Dwight Howard and Houston Rockets fans in Arena overnight -- As a line of strong storms moved through the Houston area, many roads became flooded which prompted officials in the Toyota Center to ask people to stay to avoid the roads. Rockets player Dwight Howard also stayed behind with the fans that chose to avoid the floodwaters and signed autographs and took pictures with them.
NBC News, Elisha Fieldstadt, May 26, 2015