Driest Areas In The U.S. Are In Texas
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Driest Areas In The U.S. Are In Texas
Some parts of Texas are the driest areas in the country as drought continues to tighten its grip on the state.
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LUBBOCK (March 1, 2009)--Central Texas cattle raiser Gerry Shudde remembers Texas' epic drought in the 1950s when his family's ranch sometimes got a couple of 4-inch rainfalls a year.

The present drought is far different, however.

Shudde, 74, said, "this is just cut off completely, and he adds, "In a lot of ways, it's worse."

Drought conditions are evaporating stock tanks across the nation's No. 2 agricultural state.

The drought is keeping many crop farmers from planting in long-parched soil, 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 is experiencing some degree of drought.

Parts of Central Texas and the Hill Country are not only in exceptional drought, the most severe stage, but they're now the driest regions in the country.

The conditions are the driest there since 1918.

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 the three-month span and the fourth driest on record.

Texas averaged .32 inches of rain in January, the fourth driest in history and about one-fifth the normal monthly total.

The only places not experiencing any drought are all or parts of about 15 counties in Northeast Texas including Bowie, Red River, Lamar, Titus, Hopkins, Franklin, Harrison, Cass, Upshur, Marion, Smith, Gregg, Morris, Rains and Wood Counties.

Texas Interagency Incident Management Report

Latest Comments

Posted by: Someone Location: Near-Here on Mar 2, 2009 at 10:39 AM

FIRST REPENT, AND THEN PRAY FOR RAIN!!!
Posted by: Linda Location: Marlin on Mar 2, 2009 at 09:13 AM

We prayed for rail in church Sunday hope more churches and people pray for rain we really need it.
Posted by: Sandra on Mar 1, 2009 at 04:40 PM

Lots of prayers are needed for relief from this mess! PRAY FOR RAIN
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