Drought, Austin
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Austin forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 29.887, -96.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 1998
By the end of May, many locations across SE TX fell nearly 9 inches below normal rainfall for the March through May timeframe. This had adverse effects on both agriculture as well as residents health.
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
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.
By the end of May, many locations across SE TX fell nearly 9 inches below normal rainfall for the March through May timeframe. This had adverse effects on both agriculture as well as residents health. With no relief in sight, drought-like conditions will continue into June.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
23 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Brazoria
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Brazoria forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 29.168, -95.434 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 30.661, -96.302 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 30.493, -96.621 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 29.708, -94.671 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 29.621, -96.526 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 29.528, -95.771 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 29.298, -94.811 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 30.544, -95.985 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 29.857, -95.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Houston
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Houston forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 31.318, -95.423 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 28.954, -96.578 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 30.152, -94.812 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 30.966, -95.928 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 28.786, -96.004 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 30.300, -95.503 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 30.793, -94.830 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 30.580, -95.167 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 31.089, -95.135 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 30.739, -95.572 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 30.011, -95.988 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 30.215, -96.403 (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
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 29.278, -96.222 (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
- High Wind in Alabama, May 1, 1998
- Heavy Rain in California, May 1 to 31, 1998
- Heavy Rain in California, May 1 to 15, 1998
- Hail in North Carolina, May 1, 1998
- Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Oregon, May 1, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Virginia, May 1, 1998
- Flash Flood in Ohio, May 1 to 2, 1998
- Flooding in Illinois, May 1 to 20, 1998
- Flooding in Kentucky, May 1 to 16, 1998
- Hail in Texas, May 1, 1998
- Hail in Georgia, May 1, 1998
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: 5661685, 5661686, 5661687, 5661688, 5661689, 5661690, 5661691, 5661692, 5661693, 5661694, 5661695, 5661696, 5661697, 5661698, 5661699, 5661700, 5661701, 5661702, 5661703, 5661704, 5661705, 5661706, 5661707.