Texas, 1998

Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 1998

May 1 to 31, 1998 · NWS MAF · 24 events in 24 counties and zones

Drought conditions continued in Southwest Texas and Southeast New Mexico. 06".

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
24

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 MAF wrote it up.

Drought conditions continued in Southwest Texas and Southeast New Mexico. The Midland/Odessa NWS office recorded only 0.02" of precipitation for the entire month, breaking the record minimum amount of 0.06". Marathon, TX and Carlsbad, NM received no precipitation for the month. Agricultural losses will be great but will not be included until the end of the drought or the end of the harvest when totals are calculated.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

24 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Andrews

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Andrews forecast zone
Coordinates
32.305, -102.638 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Big Bend Area / Brewster Except Nw / W Jeff Davis

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Big Bend Area / Brewster Except Nw / W Jeff Davis forecast zone

Drought, Borden

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Borden forecast zone
Coordinates
32.744, -101.432 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Crane

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Crane forecast zone
Coordinates
31.429, -102.516 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Davis Mountains

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Davis Mountains forecast zone

Drought, Dawson

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Dawson forecast zone
Coordinates
32.743, -101.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Ector

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Ector forecast zone
Coordinates
31.869, -102.543 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Gaines

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Gaines forecast zone
Coordinates
32.741, -102.635 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Glasscock

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Glasscock forecast zone
Coordinates
31.870, -101.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Howard

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Howard forecast zone
Coordinates
32.306, -101.435 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Loving

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Loving forecast zone
Coordinates
31.849, -103.580 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Marfa Plateau / Presidio Except X W

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Marfa Plateau / Presidio Except X W forecast zone

Drought, Martin

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Martin forecast zone
Coordinates
32.306, -101.951 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Midland

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Midland forecast zone
Coordinates
31.869, -102.032 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Pecos

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Pecos forecast zone
Coordinates
30.781, -102.724 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Presidio Valley / X W Presidio

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Presidio Valley / X W Presidio forecast zone

Drought, Reagan

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Reagan forecast zone
Coordinates
31.366, -101.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Reeves County and Upper Trans Pecos / Reeves / Ne Culberson

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Reeves County and Upper Trans Pecos / Reeves / Ne Culberson forecast zone

Drought, Scurry

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Scurry forecast zone
Coordinates
32.746, -100.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Terrell

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Terrell forecast zone
Coordinates
30.225, -102.076 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Upton

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Upton forecast zone
Coordinates
31.369, -102.043 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Van Horn/Guadalupe Mountains Area

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Van Horn/Guadalupe Mountains Area forecast zone

Drought, Ward

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Ward forecast zone
Coordinates
31.510, -103.102 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Winkler

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Winkler forecast zone
Coordinates
31.850, -103.048 (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 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 1998

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: 5653055, 5653056, 5653057, 5653058, 5653059, 5653060, 5653061, 5653062, 5653063, 5653064, 5653065, 5653066, 5653067, 5653068, 5653069, 5653070, 5653071, 5653072, 5653073, 5653074, 5653075, 5653076, 5653077, 5653078.