Drought, Madison
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Madison forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.966, -95.928 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 1996
The winter of 1995-1996 had below normal precipitation over all of Southeast Texas. This trend continued into April of 1996.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 23 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 23
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS HGX wrote it up.
The winter of 1995-1996 had below normal precipitation over all of Southeast Texas. This trend continued into April of 1996. Conditions have become so serious that this dry spell is now being referred to the drought of 1996. Through the first 4 months of 1996 the rainfall amounts have been less than 50% normal with some areas only receiving only 30% of their normal rainfall. The lack of rainfall has created hazardous conditions for wildfires throughout Southeast Texas especially in the forests of East Texas. If the drought continues, losses to agricultural products will be in the billions of dollars. Estimated property damage for Southeast Texas so far is $2 million, with agricultural losses at $8 million.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
23 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Houston
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Houston forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 31.318, -95.423 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Trinity
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Trinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 31.089, -95.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Walker
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Walker forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.739, -95.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, San Jacinto
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- San Jacinto forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.580, -95.167 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Polk
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.793, -94.830 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Burleson
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Burleson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.493, -96.621 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Brazos
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Brazos forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.661, -96.302 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Washington
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Washington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.215, -96.403 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Grimes
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Grimes forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.544, -95.985 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Montgomery
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Montgomery forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.300, -95.503 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Liberty
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Liberty forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.152, -94.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Colorado
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Colorado forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.621, -96.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Austin
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Austin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.887, -96.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Waller
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Waller forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.011, -95.988 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Harris
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Harris forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.857, -95.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Chambers
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Chambers forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.708, -94.671 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Wharton
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Wharton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.278, -96.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Fort Bend
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Fort Bend forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.528, -95.771 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Jackson
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 28.954, -96.578 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Matagorda
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Matagorda forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 28.786, -96.004 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Brazoria
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Brazoria forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.168, -95.434 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Galveston
- When
- April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Galveston forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.298, -94.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Drought
- A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 1996
- Damaging Wind in California, April 1, 1996
- Damaging Wind in California, April 1, 1996
- Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 1996
- Damaging Wind in California, April 1, 1996
- Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 1996
- Drought in New Mexico, April 1 to 30, 1996
- Damaging Wind in California, April 1, 1996
- Damaging Wind in California, April 1, 1996
- Tornado in California, April 1, 1996
- Winter Weather in North Carolina, April 1 to 2, 1996
- Drought in Oklahoma, April 1 to 30, 1996
More
Every storm in Texas in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5565887, 5565888, 5565889, 5565890, 5565891, 5565892, 5565893, 5565894, 5565895, 5565896, 5565897, 5565898, 5565899, 5565900, 5565901, 5565902, 5565903, 5565904, 5565905, 5565906, 5565907, 5565908, 5565909.