Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 1996

Name: Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 1996
Start: 1996-05-01T00:00
End: 1996-05-31T23:59
Location: Texas

May 1 to 31, 1996 · NWS SHV · 18 events in 18 counties and zones

May was one of the hottest and driest on record. Over ninety percent of cooperative observers reported rainfall far below climatological averages.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 18 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: $4.0 million
Events: 18

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 SHV wrote it up.

May was one of the hottest and driest on record. Over ninety percent of cooperative observers reported rainfall far below climatological averages. Some reporting stations in northeast Texas including New Summerfield had no measurable rainfall the entire month. Numerous industries were hard hit including agricultural, timber, crop and livestock.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

18 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Red River

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Red River forecast zone
Crop damage: $4.0 million
Coordinates: 33.621, -95.050 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Bowie

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Bowie forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.446, -94.423 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Franklin

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.176, -95.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Titus

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Titus forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.217, -94.966 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Camp

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Camp forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.973, -94.978 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Morris

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Morris forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.114, -94.733 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cass

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.078, -94.344 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wood

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wood forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.786, -95.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Upshur

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Upshur forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.736, -94.941 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Marion

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.798, -94.357 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Smith

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Smith forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.375, -95.269 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Gregg

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Gregg forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.481, -94.817 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Harrison

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Harrison forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.548, -94.371 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cherokee

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cherokee forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.837, -95.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Rusk

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Rusk forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.108, -94.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Panola

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Panola forecast zone
Coordinates: 32.162, -94.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Nacogdoches

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Nacogdoches forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.616, -94.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Shelby

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Shelby forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.792, -94.145 (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

Every storm in Texas in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, May 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: 5545763, 5545764, 5545765, 5545766, 5545767, 5545768, 5545769, 5545770, 5545771, 5545772, 5545773, 5545774, 5545775, 5545776, 5545777, 5545778, 5545779, 5545780.