Drought in Texas, October 10 to 31, 2023

Rainfall estimated and measured at 0.5 to 1 inch along the Cameron County barrier island knocked down drought levels from Extreme (D3) to Severe (D2) along and south of Public Access #3 southward to Boca Chica Beach.

Rainfall estimated and measured at 0.5 to 1.5 inches along and just west of Laguna Madre on the afternoon of October 5th drought levels from Extreme (D3) to Severe (D2) along and south of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge south to the Rio Grande, including Bayview and Port Isabel.

Rainfall estimated and measured at 1 to 5 inches across nearly all of inland Willacy County during the afternoon or October 5th sharply reduced drought levels from Severe (D2) to Abnormally Dry/Moderate Drought (D0 and D1). A small sliver of Severe (D2) remained within a mile or two of the Hidalgo/Kenedy line for the October 10th, 2023 Drought Monitor. Another event on the 10th and early 11th, combined with soil moisture absorption from the 5th, would end Severe Drought by the 17th.

With the drought ended, dollar damage estimates to citrus were provided by Texas Citrus Mutual for the entire growing season. Those values are posted in this entry. Based on an estimate of 10 percent of citrus field in the county, and based on an estimate of a 50 percent loss of all citrus crop across the Rio Grande Valley in 2023, a value of $12.35 million in loss was applied.

Severe (D2) Drought conditions prevailed across all of northern Hidalgo County from the 10th through the 16th (with a very slight improvement along the Willacy County line after 0.5 to 0.75 of rain fell during the afternoon of October 5th there. An area of less intense but quite welcome rain fell late on October 10th through early October 11th, dropping 1 to 1.5 across the area and nudging the Severe (D2) area farther west to only cover the western half of the area, mainly west of IH-69C.

Severe (D2) Drought conditions replaced Extreme (D3) Drought conditions across all but far northern Zapata County, following widespread 1 to 1.5 inches, locally 2 inches, of rainfall associated with showers and thunderstorms along the season's first cold front during the late afternoon and evening of October 5th. These conditions would prevail until the October 17th update, as another 0.5 to more than 2 inches fell across the county late on October 10th and early on October 11th. Conditions would improve to Moderate (D1) with Abnormally Dry (D0) along the Webb County line near the Rio Grande.

Late afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms associated with the season's first notable cold front dropped measured and estimated 1 to 2 of rain across western Jim Hogg County on October 5th, improving Extreme (D3) Drought to Severe (D2) Drought in these areas. Severe Drought would continue elsewhere, except in the northeast corner of the county (mainly along/north of SR 285/359 including Hebbronville, which held at Moderate (D1), as rainfall was below 0.5 with the same event.