Texas drought cultivates fear for farmers

Mar 4, 2009      Detroit News

Texas drought cultivates fear for farmers More than 8 percent of state is considered driest region in nation, threatening agricultural business.

Betsy Blaney / Associated Press

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Central Texas cattle raiser Gerry Shudde remembers Texas' drought of record in the 1950s when his family's ranch sometimes got a couple of 4-inch rainfalls a year.

But the drought going on now is far different.

"This is just cut off completely," the 74-year-old rancher said. "In a lot of ways, it's worse."

Across the nation's No. 2 agricultural state, drought conditions are evaporating stock tanks, keeping many crop farmers from planting, forcing cattle producers to cull their herds, and dropping water levels in state lakes.

Despite hurricanes Dolly, Gustav and Ike soaking Texas in 2008, almost every part of the state -- nearly 97 percent -- is experiencing some drought, according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map, released Feb. 26.

Parts of central Texas and the Hill Country -- more that 8 percent of the state -- are not only in exceptional drought -- the most severe stage of dryness -- but they are now the driest region in the country and the driest they have been since 1918. It is the only place in the U.S. experiencing exceptional drought.

San Antonio, two counties east of Shudde's ranch, has gotten only 16.67 inches of rain since September 2007, its driest 17 months ever and about 28 inches below normal.

November, December and January were the driest statewide since 1971 for that three-month span, the fourth-driest on record. Texas averaged 0.32 inches of rain in January, the fourth driest in history, and about one-fifth the normal monthly total.

Statewide numbers for February have not yet been compiled.

"February's gotten nothing but worse," said Victor Murphy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. "It's going to be the same gloomy numbers."

Some local numbers were available, though, and they show that none of the state's 25 largest cities got even half the normal rainfall between Dec. 1 and Feb. 25.

"That's another example of how bad things are," Murphy said. There is, however, a glimmer of hope. Forecasters say it appears the La Nina weather pattern that's kept Texas dry may be breaking up over the central Pacific Ocean.

"It looks like it's starting to weaken," Murphy said. "With that being the case, May and June, our normal rainy months, we might have something positive to look forward to."

Return to full Washington Letter