Texas, 1998

Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 1998

October 1 to 31, 1998 · NWS AMA · 20 events in 20 counties and zones

A moderate drought continued through October across the Texas panhandle. Losses from summer grains, cotton, peanuts, and soybeans was estimated at one hundred and twenty-five million dollars with an additional loss of ten million dollars from fall grazing.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 20 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
$135 million
Events
20

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 AMA wrote it up.

A moderate drought continued through October across the Texas panhandle. Losses from summer grains, cotton, peanuts, and soybeans was estimated at one hundred and twenty-five million dollars with an additional loss of ten million dollars from fall grazing. Economic multipliers result in loss to the areas total economy of over four hundred million dollars.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

20 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Armstrong

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Armstrong forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
34.965, -101.357 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Carson

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Carson forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
35.404, -101.354 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Collingsworth

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Collingsworth forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
34.965, -100.270 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Dallam

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Dallam forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
36.278, -102.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Deaf Smith

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Deaf Smith forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
34.966, -102.605 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Donley

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Donley forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
34.965, -100.814 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Gray

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Gray forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
35.401, -100.813 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hansford

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hansford forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
36.278, -101.354 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hartley

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hartley forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
35.840, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hemphill

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hemphill forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
35.838, -100.270 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hutchinson

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hutchinson forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
35.840, -101.355 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lipscomb

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Lipscomb forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
36.278, -100.273 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Moore

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Moore forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
35.838, -101.893 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Ochiltree

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Ochiltree forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
36.278, -100.816 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Oldham

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Oldham forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
35.405, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Potter

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Potter forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
35.401, -101.894 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Randall

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Randall forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
34.966, -101.897 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Roberts

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Roberts forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
35.839, -100.813 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Sherman

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Sherman forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
36.278, -101.893 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wheeler

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Wheeler forecast zone
Crop damage
$135 million
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
35.401, -100.270 (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, October 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: 5671818, 5671819, 5671820, 5671821, 5671822, 5671823, 5671824, 5671825, 5671826, 5671827, 5671828, 5671829, 5671830, 5671831, 5671832, 5671833, 5671834, 5671835, 5671836, 5671837.