HOUSTON – Most of Texas is still suffering through the drought that peaked during the second half of 2011.
It's a continuation of the same drought that had Houston in its grip last year. Fortunately for those of us in the southeast part of the state, though, near-normal rainfall returned this year and pulled us out of what was one of the worst dry spells on record.
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At George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the official climate reporting station for Houston, rainfall has been just above normal this year, at 32 accumulated inches from Jan. 1 through the middle of August. Normal rainfall for that period is 30 inches. It's been just enough rain to keep the drought at bay.
Unfortunately for 75 percent of the state, rainfall has not materialized like it has here and the drought persists. The hardest-hit areas are near the Red River Valley, the Texas Panhandle and West Texas. For these areas, the drought is likely to persist or worsen through the remainder of this summer.
In 2012 the drought has really intensified to our north, in the middle of the U.S., where agriculture is huge business. From Missouri to Michigan to Nebraska, Mother Nature has not been kind. Rainfall has lagged well below normal and heat has pounded farmers' fields. As a result, the majority of crops are in real danger of ruin, which could drive up food prices down the road. Unfortunately, the drought in this section of the country is likely to persist.
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