Texas, 1997

Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 1997

May 1 to 31, 1997 · NWS EWX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Scattered showers and thunderstorms again added moisture to soils across South Central Texas. As in the past several months, the rain was mainly along and northeast of Kerrville to San Antonio to Karnes City line.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$2.0 million
Crop damage
$6.0 million
Events
10

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 EWX wrote it up.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms again added moisture to soils across South Central Texas. As in the past several months, the rain was mainly along and northeast of Kerrville to San Antonio to Karnes City line. Southwest of this area, drought conditions improved slightly during May. Monthly damages are based on the estimated annual loss to agriculture across all of Texas through this year. Property damages do not include business or commercial revenue losses.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Atascosa

When
May 1, 12:01 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Atascosa forecast zone
Property damage
$2.0 million
Crop damage
$6.0 million
Coordinates
28.894, -98.527 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Dimmit

When
May 1, 12:01 AM CST
Where
Dimmit forecast zone
Coordinates
28.423, -99.757 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Edwards

When
May 1, 12:01 AM CST
Where
Edwards forecast zone
Coordinates
29.983, -100.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Frio

When
May 1, 12:01 AM CST
Where
Frio forecast zone
Coordinates
28.868, -99.108 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Kinney

When
May 1, 12:01 AM CST
Where
Kinney forecast zone
Coordinates
29.350, -100.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Maverick

When
May 1, 12:01 AM CST
Where
Maverick forecast zone
Coordinates
28.743, -100.314 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Medina

When
May 1, 12:01 AM CST
Where
Medina forecast zone
Coordinates
29.356, -99.110 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Uvalde

When
May 1, 12:01 AM CST
Where
Uvalde forecast zone
Coordinates
29.357, -99.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Val Verde

When
May 1, 12:01 AM CST
Where
Val Verde forecast zone
Coordinates
29.893, -101.152 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Zavala

When
May 1, 12:01 AM CST
Where
Zavala forecast zone
Coordinates
28.866, -99.761 (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

More

Every storm in Texas in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 1997

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: 5600657, 5600658, 5600659, 5600660, 5600661, 5600662, 5600663, 5600664, 5600665, 5600666.