Drought in Louisiana, May 20 to 31, 1998

Drought conditions were in full force by mid May across southwest and central Louisiana. Most places saw less half an inch of rain, dating back to the last half of April. The major weather stations with long climatic histories, such as Lake Charles, Lafayette, and Alexandria recorded less than 0.10 inches of rain for the month of May. Many places saw absolutely no rain the entire month! The most significant impact in May was the drying up of shallow wells, with many farmers resorting to deeper wells for irrigation purposes. Some crops were beginning to see the affects of the drought, but any significant loses will be attributed to the month of June. See June 1998's Storm Data for a more complete listing of specific dollar figure damages.The other major story during May's drought, though not directly attributed to it, was the smoke and haze from Mexican and Central American forest fires. Many places had visibilites of 3 miles or less for over a week (May 12-20th), and people with respiratory ailments, as well as the elderly and young, were confined to their homes during this period.