Texas

Energy and Environment Reporting for Texas

Background

Drought, wildfires, and extreme weather — is this the new normal for Texas?

Latest Posts

Red Tide Has Likely Killed a Million Fish in Galveston

A red tide in the Gulf has killed nearly a million fish on the beaches of Galveston, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The fish — most of them Gulf menhaden, but some species of catfish as well — are washing up on the Galveston and Surfside beaches, as well as the Bolivar […]

Why Dead Fish Are Washing Up on the Beaches of Galveston

Thousands of dead fish are washing up on the beaches of the Upper Texas coast, as the first red tide of the season strikes the Gulf. So this means parts of Galveston Bay are closed off for shellfish harvesting, including Texas Gulf oysters. A red tide is also known as an algal bloom, and gets its […]

New Hurricane Outlook Shows Increased Chance of Storms

Texas finds itself in the peculiar position of needing just the right storms this summer. Perhaps a light tropical depression that would bring rain to the parched parts of the state, but not bring damage to the coast. So it’s with a keen eye that the state looks to the updated summer hurricane forecast out […]

Welcome to the Dry, Hot American Summer

New climate data out this week confirms what many parched, sweaty Americans have been suspecting: It is hot, way hotter than normal. The numbers from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show that July was more than three degrees hotter than normal, making it the hottest month ever. The previous record was back in 1936. […]

Feel Dusty in Here? Texas Gets a Visit From the Sahara

If the sky looked a little hazier here in Texas over the weekend, it’s not necessarily air pollution you were seeing. Rather it was likely the result of extreme weather a half a world away. Every now and again, massive sandstorms kick up in the Saharan Desert. That would normally go unnoticed in Central Texas, […]

Drought Update: The Week the Rains Came to Texas

Extra! Extra! It’s the Drought Monitor Map we’ve been waiting for – the one that tallies last week’s plentiful rains. As expected, much progress was made. Perhaps the most notable change on the map: almost all of Southeast Texas is in the white, meaning completely drought-free and likely to stay that way. In addition, the […]

What We Learned About Water in Texas at the ‘Life By the Drop’ Panel

On Thursday, July 12, Texas Monthly magazine hosted a panel of experts that examined what to do about the drought and water issues in Texas. The event was part of ‘Life By the Drop: Drought, Water and the Future of Texas,’ a special report by Texas Monthly, StateImpact Texas, and KUT News.

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