An Interactive Look at the Texas Drought

Background

Just how much damage has the record single-year drought done to Texas? For the first time, you can see an interactive map and several visualizations that show just how severe the drought has been. On our new interactive web app, ‘Dried Out: Confronting the Texas Drought,’ you can see the intensity of the worst single-year drought in Texas’ history; learn more about the hard choices the state has to make; see the drought’s progression and its impact on the state; explore the pros and cons of the policy decisions that need to be made and share your stories.

See for yourself at our new interactive webpage, Dried Out: Confronting the Texas Drought.

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October 17, 2012

After Drought, Some Texas Ranchers Wary of Rebuilding

It’s been a tough couple of years for Texas ranchers, but as the rain falls, financial clouds are begining to clear. Increased rainfall has improved conditions for livestock production after ranches were devastated in the 2011 drought. But despite the improvement, ranchers remain hesitant to start replenishing their herds, according to the latest crop and […]

October 8, 2012

This Week in Drought: What a Difference a Rain Makes

With the Texas drought, we experience swings: one week the drought monitor map looks good. Another it looks bad. This week, file it under the “good column.” In case you missed it, Texas got some rain recently. All of Texas. “Practically the entire state got at least one inch of rain during the last week […]

September 28, 2012

Reddit Commenters Debate: Did Texas Deserve the Drought?

Our story on how the drought killed over 300 million trees in Texas got picked up by the social news site Reddit today. And it didn’t take long for one commenter to pose the question: Maybe Texas was asking for it? “Couldn’t happen to a more deserving state,” Reddit user quelar wrote. “Perhaps this may […]

September 27, 2012

Here’s a New Way to Keep Your Cattle STD-Free

They don’t prepare you for this kind of story in journalism school, but here goes: Texas cattle have an STD problem. This month the Texas Animal Health Commission announced new regulations on how to test for a venereal disease among cattle called Tricomoniasis. Dr. Dee Ellis, Executive Director of the Commission, and Texas State Veterinarian estimates […]

September 25, 2012

The Final Numbers Are In: Over 300 Million Trees Killed By the Texas Drought

The tally of the Texas drought’s toll continues. But the good news is those dead trees could soon give life to new ones.

September 21, 2012

The Texas Drought Could Be Ending, Thank God. (And Thank Rick Perry?)

Texas has come a long way in recovering from the devastating single-year drought of 2011. The latest US Drought Monitor Map out this week shows that more than 11 percent of the state is completely drought-free. And less than 5 percent of the state is in the worst stage of drought. By comparison, a year […]

September 17, 2012

It’s Going to Take a Lot More Rain to Fill the Highland Lakes

If you spent your Sunday indoors scrapbooking or just catching up on Season 1 of Revenge, you may have found a moment to wonder: It’s been raining all day. Are the Highland Lakes full yet? Lakes Travis and Buchanan, vital reservoirs for Central Texas, took quite a beating during last year’s record drought. Lake Travis […]

September 13, 2012

How Texas Quail Is Making a Rebound, And Why It Might Not Be Enough

The Texas quail are back – sort of. Experts say the Texas quail population has notably increased this fall compared to last year’s dismal numbers. However, it seems this season’s increase won’t be enough to reverse the 5-year trend of diminishing quail numbers in Texas. According to Texas A&M Professor and Wildlife expert Dr. Dale […]

September 11, 2012

Your Summer Report Card: Not as Hellish as Last Year, But a Barely Passing Grade

While the state received decent rains, a continued trend of higher temperatures is worrisome.

September 10, 2012

Drought Update: Another Dry Spell for Texas, But Enjoy the ‘Cold Front’

While the major metropolitan areas of the state have come back quite a ways from last year’s record drought, the same isn’t true for many farmers and ranchers in the rural parts of Texas. The latest drought monitor map shows that West Texas and the panhandle are still suffering, with much of the region in […]