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 HGX · 23 events in 23 counties and zones

Continuation of drought conditions from April. May, normally one of the wettest months, had very little rainfall across Southeast Texas.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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.

Continuation of drought conditions from April. May, normally one of the wettest months, had very little rainfall across Southeast Texas. Many stations actually received less than 0.10 of an inch of rain during May. The effects of agricultural products continued to worsen with many spring crops being lost due to lack of rainfall. Property damage for Southeast Texas this month are $10 million, agricultural losses $50 million.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

23 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Houston

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Trinity forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.089, -95.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Madison

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Coordinates: 30.966, -95.928 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Walker

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 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

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: 5565910, 5565911, 5565912, 5565913, 5565914, 5565915, 5565916, 5565917, 5565918, 5565919, 5565920, 5565921, 5566069, 5566070, 5566071, 5566072, 5566073, 5566074, 5566075, 5566076, 5566077, 5566078, 5566079.