Texan Draught Plagues Livestock Owners
TEXAS, US - Despite some recent rains, much of Texas is suffering from severe drought conditions and parts of the state are experiencing once-in-a-century dry weather, says a Texas A&M University professor who studies weather trends.
6 July 2009
1 minute read
John Nielsen-Gammon, a professor of atmospheric sciences who also serves as State Climatologist, says the areas near San Antonio to Victoria and Corpus Christi are experiencing record-breaking drought.
“According to the National Weather Service, the past 22 months have been among the driest ever for San Antonio,” he explains.
“In the Bryan-College Station area, the period from May to June is the second-driest on record, and Houston had its driest-ever period in that time. Central and South Central Texas have been hit pretty hard by this drought, and there is not much hope to see things get better.”
Nielsen-Gammon says many parts of the state that usually receive at least five inches of rain in May received an inch or less. Those record low amounts, coupled with record-setting heat, have produced a double whammy for farmers and ranchers.
“We’ve seen August-like heat in June, and that rarely happens,” he says. “We’re already seeing areas of crop failures and low amounts of feed for cattle. For livestock owners, this has been a rough year already.”
Many parts of the state recorded the warmest June on record, he adds.
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