Texas, 2024

Drought in Texas, October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024 · NWS SHV · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

Severe (D2) drought conditions greatly expanded across much of East and Northeast Texas by the end of October. This was in response to a flash drought that resulted from an exceptionally hot and dry period during the late summer, beginning in August with well below normal rainfall along with an extended period of upper 90s to triple-digit high temperatures.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 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
None recorded
Events
14

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 SHV wrote it up.

Severe (D2) drought conditions greatly expanded across much of East and Northeast Texas by the end of October. This was in response to a flash drought that resulted from an exceptionally hot and dry period during the late summer, beginning in August with well below normal rainfall along with an extended period of upper 90s to triple-digit high temperatures. The total rainfall amounts during this late summer period into the early fall were only near 25% of normal or less. This dryness contributed to lower than normal streamflow observed across area creeks and streams at the end of the month.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 30, 11:26 PM CST, 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 30, 11:26 PM CST, 34 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Angelina

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Angelina forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
31.255, -94.612 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Bowie

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Bowie forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
33.446, -94.423 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Camp

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Camp forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
32.973, -94.978 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cass

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Cass forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
33.078, -94.344 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Gregg

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Gregg forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
32.481, -94.817 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Harrison

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Harrison forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
32.548, -94.371 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Marion

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Marion forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
32.798, -94.357 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Morris

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Morris forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
33.114, -94.733 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Nacogdoches

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Nacogdoches forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
31.616, -94.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Panola

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Panola forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
32.162, -94.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Rusk

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Rusk forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
32.108, -94.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Shelby

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Shelby forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
31.792, -94.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Titus

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Titus forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
33.217, -94.966 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Upshur

When
October 31, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Upshur forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
32.736, -94.941 (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 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, October 2024

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1221029, 1221030, 1221031, 1221032, 1221033, 1221034, 1221035, 1221036, 1221037, 1221038, 1221039, 1221040, 1221042, 1221043.