Category Archives: Nature

Texas’ Drought Worsens

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How bad is it? With triple-digit temperatures for the past 45+ days and only a trace of rain in the same time period, it feels like we are baking in the Texas heat. But, when we step back and look at historical drought percentages, it doesn’t appear all that bad. It’s not as bad as 2006-2007.

“LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) – Ovenlike heat continues to bake Texas, and the map that charts drought in the United States shows the worst-stricken areas of Texas have wilted further. The U.S. Drought Monitor map released last week shows areas of Central and South Texas in extreme and exceptional drought expanded since last week. The two worst stages of drought now cover 14.1 percent of the state, up from 11.1 last week. Texas is the only spot in the nation with extreme and exceptional drought.” Source: KBTX.com.

I guess time will tell. I don’t think it will be the driest summer ever, but it sure is hot.

Tropical Weather and Storms – Hurricane Updates from weather.com

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Tropical Weather and Storms – Hurricane Updates from weather.com: “On its current track, Ike should make landfall along the central Texas coast early (late) Friday night as a major hurricane. Models are honing in on a landfall location very close to Freeport, Texas. However it is very important to emphasize that tropical storm and hurricane conditions will be felt well before Ike’s center of circulation makes landfall. Conditions will deteriorate along the Texas coast well before that point.”

UPDATE:
Texas A&M University will be closed Friday (Sept. 12) as a precautionary measure as Hurricane Ike nears the Texas coast and tropical storm winds and heavy rain are projected to reach the Bryan-College Station area.

UPDATE:
HOUSTON — George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) will stop commercial flights beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. No airline service is expected to operate at IAH on Saturday. Southwest Airlines at Hobby Airport will stop flights at 9:00 a.m. -khou.com

Hurricane Gustav

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Gustav comes ashore this morning as a Category 3 hurricane, but getting weaker by the hour. Texas needs the rain, and maybe we’ll see some, maybe not.

Maybe big brother got lucky on this one. Two things: 1) the gov was proactive and evacuated at the right time; it’s cheaper to move half a million people and then to search, rescue and recover half a million people, and 2) people responded (most any way).

This year though sees another player – the Republican National Convention is scheduled for this week. Now the story is how the storm of ’08 affects politics and the presidency.

It came from lessons learned, but what about the next one, what if it’s a near miss (or near hit). Will people still respond. Will they say “better safe than sorry,” or, will they cuss the government for making them leave for nothing.

Active Gulf Storms

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In aviation there’s a saying that planes in a line on radar are called a “string of pearls.” Well, the Gulf and Atlantic have a string of storm pearls.

It has been a relatively quiet season. Tropical Storm Fay came through Florida a couple weeks ago and flooded a lot of places, but I don’t think it killed anyone. Fay and T.S. Edouard did help knock loose the high pressure sitting over Texas and we subsequently got some rain after that.