The latest weekly drought monitor, released Thursday, reveals significant improvements across the Texas Hill Country following the deadly historic flooding over the July Fourth weekend.
Record-Breaking Rainfall Totals
The July 4th weekend brought catastrophic amounts of precipitation to the Hill Country, with widespread areas receiving 8 to 12 inches of rain in a couple of hours. Some locations recorded even higher totals, making this one of the most significant rainfall events in the region’s recent history.
To understand the magnitude of this weather event, consider that for a community like Kerrville, the 12 inches of rain that fell represents nearly half of the town’s total average annual rainfall of 29.35 inches.
Five-Year Drought Shows Signs of Breaking
Massive rainfall has substantially reduced the persistent drought that has gripped the Hill Country and South Central Texas for the past five years.
The before-and-after comparison from the drought monitor data shows remarkable improvements across the region.
The changes in Kerrville are particularly striking. As recently as May 6th, the city was classified under “exceptional drought” conditions – the most severe category on the drought scale.
Following the July Fourth rainfall event, Kerrville has moved to the opposite end of the spectrum and is now classified as “abnormally dry, representing a dramatic four-level improvement in drought conditions.
Round Rock has experienced an equally impressive transformation. Earlier this year, the city struggled under severe to extreme drought conditions.
According to the latest drought monitor, Round Rock is no longer experiencing drought conditions—a complete reversal from its previous status.
Here at Home:
As for SE Texas, daily rain chances throughout the summer have limited drought from setting in across Houston.
Since June 1, Houston has picked up 8.85 inches of rain at IAH, which is 0.61 inches above normal. On a yearly scale, Houston is 1.44 below normal.
