Texas Drought Tops Dust Bowl

D A L L A S,  Aug. 28, 2000 -- A history-making drought in North Texas has allthe signs of continuing for days — or even weeks — and the rainforecast elsewhere in the state isn't much better.

With no precipitation in the forecast today, the record of 58consecutive days without rain in the region — first set in 1934 — was about to be broken.

A rainless Sunday tied the record, which had been repeated in1950.

“We will have the record all ourselves,” said Lonnie King, aNational Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth.

The National Weather Service forecast this week calls forcontinued temperatures at or exceeding the century mark along withdry skies.

“We could very well have 65 to 70 days without rain,” MichaelMach, another meteorologist in Fort Worth, said.

Millions of Dollars Lost

A 58-day drought interval first occurred in Texas May 25 to July21, 1934, during the Dust Bowl years of the Great Depression.

“But one thing to keep in mind about 1934 was the streak wasbroken by 0.01 inches (0.25 millimeters) of rain — barely above atrace,” said Mach.

The dry spell happened again Nov. 4 to Dec. 31, 1950.

This year’s streak started July 1, and more heat and sunshineare forecast for the region, said Joe Harris, a weather servicemeteorologist in Fort Worth.

Statewide, agriculture and livestock producers estimate they’vealready lost $595 million this year to the parched conditions,Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs said.

In Central Texas, water supplies for San Antonio have beenthreatened as water levels fall at an underground reservoir. In theHouston area, many livestock ponds and small lakes are low or dry.

Northwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, volunteer crews outsideThrockmorton have been struggling to complete a pipeline to anothertown’s reservoir. Throckmorton residents, who have not had rainsince spring, are within weeks of losing their own water supply tothe drought.