Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 2023

Extreme (D3) Drought would cover Cameron County from Santa Rosa through Harlingen and Lozano south to the Rio Grande through October 9, before the area of Extreme Drought was trimmed back to a sliver over the southwest portion of the county (Santa Rosa, La Feria, to the Rio Grande) with Severe Drought maintaining elsewhere through October 16. The improvement occurred in areas where 3 to 4 inches of rain fell during the afternoon on October 5th.

Extreme (D3) Drought would cover Cameron Island from roughly the Public Access Point 3 through Boca Chica Beach through October 9, before the area of Extreme Drought was trimmed back Severe Drought on the 10th, due to afternoon rains on October 5th.

Extreme (D3) Drought would cover Coastal Cameron County from Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge south to the Rio Grande through October 9, before the area of Extreme Drought was trimmed back Severe Drought on the 10th, due to sufficient afternoon rains on October 5th.

Severe (D2) Drought continued across the northern half of Willacy County until October 9th, before the area would be sharply trimmed back to just a sliver of the far western portion of the county near the Hidalgo and Kenedy County line on the 10th. The trim-back was courtesy of torrential thunderstorm rains that dropped an estimated 3 to 5 inches of rainfall over farmland east of Raymondville and Lyford during the afternoon of October 5th.

Severe (D2) Drought continued across the northern third of coastal Willacy County, including Port Mansfield, through October 9th. Drought improved to Moderate (D1) levels on the 10th courtesy of thunderstorm rains that dropped an estimated 1 to 3 inches of rainfall across these areas during the afternoon of October 5th.

Severe (D2) Drought continued across the northern third of the Willacy barrier island, including the Port Mansfield fishing channel and jetties. Drought improved to Moderate (D1) levels on the 10th courtesy of thunderstorm rains that dropped an estimated 1 to 2 inches of rainfall across these areas during the afternoon of October 5th.

Extreme (D3) Drought prevailed in southern Hidalgo, generally from the Rio Grande to 15-17 miles north of the river, bounded by Citrus City through south Edinburg to 5-8 miles north of Donna/Weslaco/Mercedes, with Severe (D2) Drought elsewhere, through October 16th. A broad area of 1 to 1.5 inches of rain on October 10 was sufficient to reduce Extreme Drought to Severe (D2) Drought in these areas.

Severe Drought (D2) prevailed across all of Northern Hidalgo County through October 9th. Locally heavy rainfall across the eastern half of this area following locally heavy rainfall of 1 to 1.5 inches would improve conditions in these areas beginning on October 10th.

Extreme Drought (D3) prevailed across all but the northeast quarter of Starr County through October 10th, with Severe (D2) Drought elsewhere.

Heavy rains during the afternoon and evening of October 5th across the western two-thirds of the county would help improve from Extreme to Severe across all but the southeast quarter of Starr County on October 10th, before additional improvements arrived by the 17th - courtesy of additional rainfall on the 10th. Severe Drought would be trimmed across western Starr and Extreme Drought eliminated in southeast Starr on that date.

Extreme Drought (D3) prevailed across all but the northern fifth of Zapata County, from San Ygnacio north to the Webb County line and northeast to Jim Hogg County just five miles south of the Webb County line, through October 9th. Broad rainfall of 1 to more than 2 inches during the evening of October 5th would improve conditions to Severe (D2) across nearly all of the county on October 10th.

Extreme Drought (D3) prevailed across most of the western half of Jim Hogg County until October 9th, with Severe (D2) drought across east-central Jim Hogg south of Hebbronville and the SR 285/359 area. An estimated 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain fell during the late afternoon and evening of October 5th, which would remove Extreme conditions across western portions of the county.

Severe (D2) Drought would begin October across all but the northern fifth of Jim Hogg County, before an area of 0.75 to 1.5 inches of rain fell on the 10th across the portions of the county. By October 17th, Severe Drought was limited to the south and southeast portion of the county, with Moderate (D1) conditions expanding across the northwest portion and a very small sliver along the Hidalgo and Kenedy County line.

Severe (D2) Drought covered all but a very small sliver of northwest Kenedy County from through October 9th, with the area shrinking to cover most of inland Kenedy County except the southeast corner (and the remaining northwest corner, each at Moderate, D1, levels) due to a thin area of 1 to more than 2 inches of rain during the afternoon of October 5th in southeast inland Kenedy County. Additional improvements would be realized by October 17th, courtesy of 0.75 to 1.5 inches in southern Kenedy County on October 10th.

Severe (D2) Drought covered all of coastal Kenedy County from through October 9th, with the area shrinking to cover the northern half of coastal Kenedy County with the southern half improving to Moderate (D1, levels) due to 0.25 to 0.75 inches during the afternoon of October 5th.

Severe (D2) Drought covered all of the Kenedy County barrier island through October 9th, with the area shrinking to cover the northern half of the Kenedy County barrier island with the southern half improving to Moderate (D1, levels) due to 0.25 to 0.75 inches during the afternoon of October 5th.