Western Drought

Losses, 2024 dollars

$5.3 billion

Losses at the time

$4.0 billion

Deaths

0

The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.

• Drought in Texas, December 31, 20137 eventsA series of cold fronts and upper level systems pushed across the region from the last ten days of the month.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 201422 eventsJanuary saw nearly stagnant drought conditions with only a slight expansion. The entire area remained in severe (D2) drought or worse except for Hall and Bailey Counties. The month of January saw unusually cool temperatures on average across the entire region.
• Drought in Oklahoma, January 1, 201420 eventsWith persistent dry conditions, drought conditions expanded across portions of southwestern and western Oklahoma.
• Drought in Nebraska, January 1 to 31, 201417 eventsThe drought that began in June 2012 continued through January 2014 across much of western Nebraska.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 201413 eventsThe month of January was another dry month for most of the Texas Panhandle, with only 2 or 3 light snowfalls being reported across the far northern parts of the Panhandle. As short term precipitation deficits worsened, drought conditions returned to the eastern Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Kansas, January 1 to 31, 201413 eventsDrought conditions continued across all of northwest Kansas during January. The area is rated as being in D2 (Severe) to D3 (Extreme) drought.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 2014$14,000 · 5 eventsMost of north Texas was classified as being drought-free, or experiencing merely abnormally dry or moderate/D1 conditions for the month of January 2014.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 201411 eventsJanuary was a dry month across South Central Texas with most of the region receiving less than normal rainfall. All but the eastern quarter of the area had less than 25 percent of normal for the month. Fortunately, this had little effect on the drought.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 20149 eventsSevere drought conditions persisted north of Rotan, Anson and Albany. The U.S. Drought Monitor continued to designate the Colorado River Basin above E.V. Spence to Lake Ivie to beyond San Saba in a severe drought because of very low lake levels.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 20148 eventsWith little to no precipitation through the month, the long term drought kept its grip on western north Texas.
• Drought in Nebraska, January 1 to 31, 20147 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, January 2014 marked the 20th consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued some portion of this 24-county South Central Nebraska area, prolonging one of the most notable droughts in decades.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 20147 eventsBelow normal rainfall occurred over all of South Texas during the month of January. Rainfall amounts were 1 to 2 inches below normal over the region.
• Drought in Kansas, January 1 to 31, 20146 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, January 2014 marked the 20th consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued at least some portion of this six county North Central Kansas area, prolonging one of the most notable droughts in decades.
• Drought in Wisconsin, January 1 to 31, 20143 eventsNo changes occurred during January, 2014 to the severe drought across western Wisconsin. Because the ground was frozen, no moisture was able to work into the soil from the 15 to 20 inches of snow that fell.
• Drought in Oklahoma, January 1 to 31, 20143 eventsThe month of January was another dry month for the Oklahoma Panhandle, with only three light snowfall episodes during the month. As short term dryness continued, drought conditions worsened gradually throughout the month.
• Drought in Nebraska, January 1 to 31, 20143 eventsDrought conditions continue across southwest Nebraska with the area rated from D2 (Severe) to D3 (Extreme) Drought. Precipitation during the month of January was below normal with amounts ranging from a trace to 0.50 inches.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 20142 eventsWhile the Rio Grande Valley received plenty of beneficial rain during the month of January, the northern ranchlands missed out on the greatest rainfall.
• Drought in New Mexico, January 1 to 31, 201434 eventsJanuary 2014 was exceptionally dry and needless to say much drier than normal while temperatures were near to above normal. Average statewide precipitation during the month was a dismal 0.03 inches, which was the driest January on record.
• Drought in New Mexico, January 1 to 31, 20147 eventsNo precipitation was reported across Southwestern and South-Central New Mexico in January. There was a slight increase in Severe(D2) drought coverage in Otero County, but otherwise all other areas remained the same as December.
• Drought in California, January 1 to 31, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of January, 2014. Extreme drought was detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor for much of the region, with exceptional drought detected along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.
• Drought in Hawaii, January 1 to 31, 20149 eventsDrought conditions, D2 classification or worse, persisted through January over parts of Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. However, rainfall initiated by fronts and upper troughs through the month alleviated most of these conditions by early February.
• Wildfire in Kansas, January 12, 2014$100,000 · 1 eventA tight pressure gradient caused strong gusty winds across southeast Kansas and resulted in at least one grass fire to rapidly spread and become out of control.
• Wildfire in California, January 16 to 25, 20142 eventsThe Colby Wildfire started in the hills above the San Gabriel Valley. The fire was fueled by the combination of an extended period of dry, northeast winds and very dry vegetation. The fire destroyed 5 homes and burned 1,952 acres.
• Wildfire in Georgia, January 25 to 27, 2014$16,000 · 3 eventsA very cold airmass was in place on the 25th, cold enough to support some dry snow in the Georgia mountains. Temperatures warmed on the 26th as weak high pressure moved over the area.
• Drought in Texas, February 1 to 28, 201423 eventsFebruary saw little changes in long term drought conditions with only one major winter storm as the only precipitation event and wildly varying temperatures. Hall County, which has remained in moderate (D1) drought conditions since July 2013 was degraded to severe (D2) drought.
• Drought in Oklahoma, February 1 to 28, 201420 eventsWith persistent dry conditions and only a few snow events, drought conditions did not improve.
• Drought in Texas, February 1 to 28, 201415 eventsFebruary was a dry month across South Central Texas with most of the region receiving less than normal rainfall. Much of the northern and southern parts of the area had less than 25 percent of normal for the month.
• Drought in Texas, February 1 to 28, 201415 eventsThe month of February was another dry month for the Texas Panhandle, with the most notable precipitation event being a band of early February snow that fell mostly in the southern Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Nebraska, February 1 to 28, 201415 eventsNormal to above normal precipitation fell across the central and western Sandhills as well as southwestern Nebraska during the month of February. Total precipitation ranged from a half an inch in southwestern Nebraska, to around an inch in the central Sandhills.
• Drought in Kansas, February 1 to 28, 201413 eventsNorthwest Kansas continued in drought with no change in status from January. The area is rated as being in D2 (Severe) to D3 (Extreme) drought. Precipitation during the month ranged from 0.20 to 0.60 inches at most locations with close to an inch in Sheridan county at Hoxie.
• Drought in Texas, February 1 to 28, 201413 eventsSevere drought conditions persisted north of Rotan, Anson and Albany. The U.S. Drought Monitor continued to designate the Colorado River Basin above E.V. Spence to Lake Ivie to beyond San Saba in a severe drought because of very low lake levels.
• Drought in Texas, February 1 to 28, 201410 eventsBelow normal rainfall occurred over all of South Texas during the month of February. Rainfall amounts were 1 to 2 inches below normal over the coastal plains and 1 inch below normal over the Brush Country region.
• Drought in Texas, February 1 to 28, 20148 eventsWith persistent dry conditions and only a few snow events, drought conditions did not improve.
• Drought in Nebraska, February 1 to 28, 20147 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, February 2014 marked the 21st consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued some portion of this 24-county South Central Nebraska area, prolonging one of the most notable droughts in decades.
• Drought in Kansas, February 1 to 28, 20146 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, February 2014 marked the 21st consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued at least some portion of this six-county North Central Kansas area, prolonging one of the most notable droughts in…
• Drought in Nebraska, February 1 to 28, 20143 eventsSouthwest Nebraska continued in drought with no change in status from January. The area is rated as being in D2 (Severe) to D3 (Extreme) drought. Precipitation during the month ranged from 0.40 to 0.80 inches which was above normal.
• Drought in Wisconsin, February 1 to 25, 20143 eventsThe severe drought, that had persisted across the northern portions of Buffalo and Trempealeau Counties into the northwest corner of Jackson County, ended in late February.
• Drought in Oklahoma, February 1 to 28, 20143 eventsThe month of February was a drier than normal month for the Oklahoma Panhandle, with only one significant snowfall episode which brought 2 to 6 inches of snow early in the month. Most of this snow fell in across the eastern Oklahoma Panhandle.
• Drought in Texas, February 1 to 28, 2014$4,000 · 2 eventsYoung and Palo Pinto County began and ended the month in severe drought (D2). Very little rain fell across North Texas during the month of February which allowed for no improvement in drought conditions. Surrounding areas were in moderate drought (D1) throughout the month.
• Drought in New Mexico, February 1 to 28, 201432 eventsFebruary 2014 was the 9th driest on record for New Mexico, as a predominately dry northwest flow pattern prevailed statewide. As a result, significant long- and short-term drought intensified across New Mexico. Reservoir storage was barely just over half of normal.
• Drought in New Mexico, February 1 to 28, 20147 eventsVery little precipitation was reported across the region during the month of February which kept Severe(D2) drought conditions in place for portions Southern New Mexico.
• Drought in California, February 1 to 28, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of February, 2014. Extreme drought was detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor for much of the region, with exceptional drought detected along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.
• Drought in Hawaii, February 1 to 28, 20143 eventsRecent rains across the Aloha State have decreased the areas of drought. However, D2 conditions or worse remained in small parts of Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii.
• Excessive Heat and Extreme Cold in Kansas, February 4 to 6, 20149 eventsDuring the overnight and through the morning hours the arctic air mass over the area combined with a recent snow pack, caused temperatures to fall into the teens below zero.
• Wildfire in Arkansas, February 14, 2014$25,000 · 1 eventDry and breezy conditions contributed to the spread of a wildfire that burned about 40 acres near Alma in Crawford County. The fire damaged a mobile home.
• Drought in Arizona, February 18 to 28, 20146 eventsExtreme drought conditions returned to parts of southeast Arizona during the latter half of February. For the water year beginning in October of 2013, most areas only received 25 to 50 percent of normal precipitation through February.
• Wildfire and High Wind in New Mexico, February 19 to 20, 2014$8,000 · 72 kt wind · 6 eventsA strong cold front approached the state from the Pacific Northwest and combined with a powerful jet stream aloft to produce widespread windy to very windy conditions. Westerly winds increased over western New Mexico ahead of the front.
• Wildfire in Arkansas, February 19, 2014$50,000 · 1 eventDry and breezy conditions contributed to the spread of a wildfire that damaged three homes in the town of Johnson in Washington County.
• Wildfire in Arizona, February 22 to 23, 20142 eventsAbnormally dry conditions and strong winds allowed several fires to break out around the Flagstaff area over a two day period. The area had only received 64% of average rainfall since September.
• Wildfire in Arkansas, February 22 to 26, 20142 eventsDry weather, low humidities, and occasional gusty winds made conditions favorable for wildfires. On the 22nd, a fire 1 mile north of Cave City in Sharp County burned 105 acres, most of which was grassland.
• Wildfire in Georgia, February 23, 2014$15,000 · 1 eventAn arctic high pressure area was moving toward the Southeast on the 23rd. Very weak forcing aloft allowed for a few showers to develop across central Georgia during the afternoon, but the rest of the area remained dry.
• Drought in Texas, February 25 to 28, 2014$11,000 · 11 eventsVery little rain fell during the month of February and many counties in North Texas experienced worsening drought conditions. Moderate drought (D1) deteriorated to severe drought (D2) by the 25th of the month across the central portions of the Fort Worth County Warning Area.
• Drought in New Mexico, February 25 to 28, 20148 eventsAnother very dry month with many locations not receiving any rain caused drought conditions to worsen across portions of Southwestern and Southern New Mexico.
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 2014$10 million · 24 eventsDrought conditions continued to worsen through March prolonging exceptional drought conditions. Very little rainfall occurred with an increase in wind and wildfire activity.
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 2014$105,000 · 18 eventsThe month of March is typically the fourth wettest month of the year, but totals across North Texas were about two inches below normal. This led to deteriorating drought conditions across the area with many counties ending the month in extreme drought (D3).
• Drought in Oklahoma, March 1 to 31, 201433 eventsWith gradually warming temperatures and little to no precipitation through the month, drought conditions worsened across much of Oklahoma.
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 201421 eventsThe drought continued to worsen over a large part of West Central Texas because of very little rain through the end of March. Much of West Central Texas was in a severe drought by the end of the month. The Colorado River Basin above E.V.
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 201420 eventsThe month of March was another dry month for the Texas Panhandle, with most areas receiving less than one quarter inch of precipitation during the month. Short-term precipitation deficits worsened especially in the eastern Panhandle.
• Drought in Nebraska, March 1 to 31, 201419 eventsIn March significant snow fell in narrow bands that led to below normal precipitations for portions of the northern sandhills, southwest and up to 2 inches below normal for areas east of a line from Spencer to Merna.
• Drought in Kansas, March 1 to 31, 201413 eventsDrought conditions worsened across northwest Kansas during March with the coverage of Extreme drought conditions expanding to several more counties.
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 11, 201410 eventsAbove to well above normal rainfall occurred across all of South Texas during the month of March. Rainfall amounts were 2 to 3 inches above normal from the eastern Brush Country into the Coastal Bend and Victoria Crossroads.
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 20149 eventsSome of South Central Texas experienced a wet March. Across the southern portion of the region they received above normal rainfall with some places getting 150 to 200 percent of normal.
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 20148 eventsWith little to no precipitation and warming temperatures, drought conditions persisted across all of western north Texas.
• Drought in Nebraska, March 1 to 31, 20147 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, March 2014 marked the 22nd-consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued some portion of this 24-county South Central Nebraska area, continuing one of the most notable droughts in decades.
• Drought in Kansas, March 1 to 31, 20146 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, March 2014 marked the 22nd-consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued some portion of this six-county North Central Kansas area, continuing one of the most notable droughts in decades.
• Drought in Nebraska, March 1 to 31, 20143 eventsNo change in the drought status during March for all of southwest Nebraska. The area continues to be rated as being in D2 (Severe) to D3 (Extreme) drought. Precipitation ranged from 0.20 to 0.60 inches at cooperative observer sites, which was an inch below normal.
• Drought in Oklahoma, March 1 to 31, 20143 eventsThe month of March was another dry month for the Oklahoma Panhandle, with most areas receiving less than one quarter inch of precipitation during the month. Short-term precipitation deficits worsened drought conditions across the Panhandle.
• Drought in New Mexico, March 1 to 31, 201432 eventsMarch 2014 was the most active month year-to-date, with two widespread, significant precipitation events, but overall precipitation was below average areawide.
• Drought in New Mexico, March 1 to 31, 201415 eventsNear average precipitation occurred in the month of March, but the prolonged period of below normal amounts led to an increase in drought coverage and intensity.
• Drought in Arizona, March 1 to 31, 20146 eventsExtreme drought conditions continued in parts of southeast Arizona through March. Other than one day of significant precipitation over parts of the drought area on March 1st, the month was generally dry.
• Drought in California, March 1 to 31, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of March, 2014. Extreme to Exceptional drought was detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor for almost the entire Central California region. This extent of exceptional drought is extremely unusual for California.
• Wildfire in Nebraska, March 9, 20141 injured · 1 eventTemperatures that reached the 70s combined with low dew points and southwest winds gusting over 40 mph brought conditions favorable for spreading of wildfires across eastern Nebraska during the afternoon of March 9th.
• Drought in Texas, March 11 to 31, 2014$28,000 · 8 eventsThe month of March is typically the fourth wettest month of the year, but totals across the western portions of North Texas were about 2-3 inches below normal. This led to deteriorating drought conditions across the area.
• Wildfire in West Virginia, March 11, 20141 death · $25,000 · 1 eventAfternoon temperatures reached into the 70 to 75 degree range along the lower Elk River Valley. Southwest winds were blowing at 10 to 15 mph. The relative humidity was around 25 percent. A 67 year old man near Clendenin was burning some debris near his home.
• Wildfire in Arkansas, March 13 to 15, 20143 eventsA lack of rainfall, low humidities, and periodic gusty winds made conditions favorable for wildfires from the 13th through the 15th. On the 13th, the Boxley Church Fire began 14 miles west of Jasper in Newton County. It was controlled the next day after burning 311 acres.
• Wildfire in Alabama, March 14, 20142 eventsDry conditions and gusty winds helped a wildfire rapidly spread near the town of Littleville. Nearly 500 acres were burned.
• Wildfire in Nebraska, March 15, 2014$350,000 · 2 eventsDry and warm conditions, along with gusty southwest winds, help fuel several fires near Lincoln.
• Wildfire in California, March 15, 2014$35,000 · 1 eventThe Pierce Fire began around 1537 PST on the 15th near the intersection of Avenue 66 and Pierce Street in Thermal. Initially reported at 10 acres, the fire burned at a moderate rate of spread through medium to heavy brush, increasing rapidly to 200 acres over just a few hours.
• Wildfire in Texas, March 18 to 19, 2014$190,000 · 1 eventThe Higgins Wildfire began around 1230CST around 7 miles west southwest of Higgins Texas or between Higgins and Glazier off of U.S. Highway 60 in Lipscomb county and spread eastward into Oklahoma.
• Wildfire in Georgia, March 22 to 25, 2014$19,000 · 4 eventsGenerally quiet conditions were in place the 22nd through the 25th, with high pressure mainly in control of the area and only isolated weak afternoon showers and thunderstorms developing.
• Drought in Texas, March 25 to 31, 2014$10,000 · 5 eventsThe month of March is typically the fourth wettest month of the year, but totals across North Texas were about two inches below normal. This led to deteriorating drought conditions across Anderson, Cooke, Denton, Freestone, and Grayson County.
• Wildfire in Texas, March 29, 2014$340,000 · 1 eventThe Kerrick Wildfire began approximately 1418CST about ten miles southwest of Griggs Oklahoma in extreme northeastern Dallam county Texas. The wildfire started just west of U.S. Highway 287 near Farm to Market Road 807 and consumed an estimated five acres.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 2014$10 million · 24 eventsDrought conditions continued to worsen during the month of April with very limited rainfall. Exceptional drought (D4) conditions have greatly expanded over a majority of the South Plains, Rolling Plains, and the extreme southern Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 2014$88,000 · 31 eventsDrought conditions became worse over several counties in the western and northwestern portions of North Texas. Little change in drought conditions occurred over the rest of the region.
• Drought in Oklahoma, April 1 to 30, 201437 eventsWith very few precipitation events and unseasonably warm temperatures, drought conditions worsened over much of western, northern and central Oklahoma.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 201424 eventsVery little rainfall for the month of April caused the drought to intensify across much of West Central Texas. Abilene experienced the fourth driest period on record with 1.77 inches of rainfall measured from January 1 through April 30.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 201420 eventsA dry spring pattern continued through April for the Texas Panhandle, with most areas receiving less than one inch of precipitation during the month. Short-term deficits worsened especially in the western Panhandle, where less than one quarter of an inch fell.
• Drought in Kansas, April 1 to 30, 201419 eventsAn unusually dry winter and spring, pushed portions of Central and South Central Kansas, back into severe drought (D2) for April. The very dry conditions continued during the month of April, with some areas falling 2 to 3 inches below normal for the month.
• Drought in Nebraska, April 1 to 30, 201419 eventsFrom southwest Nebraska into eastern portions of north central Nebraska, much below normal precipitation ranging from a inch to locally more than two inches occurred for the month of April.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 201418 eventsAll but a very small portion of South Central Texas experienced below normal rainfall in April. Across most of the western half of the area they received less than 25 percent of normal for the month.
• Drought in Kansas, April 1 to 30, 201413 eventsDrought conditions remain unchanged from March across northwest Kansas with the area continuing in D2 (Severe) to D3 (Extreme) Drought.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 20148 eventsWith little to no precipitation, drought conditions worsened over much of northern Texas. This was exacerbated by unseasonably warm conditions.
• Drought in Nebraska, April 1 to 30, 20147 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, April 2014 marked the 23rd-consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued some portion of this 24-county South Central Nebraska area, continuing one of the most notable droughts in decades.
• Drought in Kansas, April 1 to 30, 20146 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, April 2014 marked the 23rd-consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued some or most of this six-county North Central Kansas area, continuing one of the most notable droughts in decades.
• Drought in Oklahoma, April 1 to 30, 20145 eventsMuch of far northeastern Oklahoma experienced only a half inch to an inch of precipitation for the month of April 2014. That precipitation was less than 50 percent of the normal monthly precipitation for the area, and in some areas, was only between 10 and 25 percent of normal.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 7, 2014$4,000 · 4 eventsA few counties in the southeastern part of North Texas received enough rain early in the month to eliminate their D2/Severe drought status by April 8th.
• Drought in Nebraska, April 1 to 30, 20143 eventsDrought conditions remain unchanged from March across extreme southwest Nebraska with the area continuing in D2 (Severe) to D3 (Extreme) Drought. Precipitation during the month of April was around an inch below normal at cooperative observer stations.
• Drought in Oklahoma, April 1 to 30, 20143 eventsThe dry spring continued through April for the Oklahoma Panhandle, with most areas receiving less than one inch of precipitation during the month. In what should have been the start to the growing season, most of the Panhandle received less than 50% of normal precipitation.
• Drought in New Mexico, April 1 to 30, 201440 eventsA majority of central and northern New Mexico received below normal precipitation during April 2014. As a result, severe (D2) or worse drought conditions expanded areawide and worsened for parts of the far east, central and west.
• Drought in New Mexico, April 1 to 30, 201415 eventsAnother dry month for most of Southern New Mexico helped to increase the coverage of at least Severe(D2) drought to all areas except the extreme south-central.
• Drought in Arizona, April 1 to 30, 20146 eventsExtreme drought conditions persisted in parts of southeast Arizona through April. Meager precipitation amounts caused the area of extreme (D3) drought to expand farther northward in Graham County and westward in Pinal County.
• Drought in California, April 1 to 30, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of April, 2014. Extreme to Exceptional drought was detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor for almost the entire Central California region. This extent of exceptional drought is extremely unusual for California.
• Wildfire in Georgia, April 1 to 3, 2014$13,000 · 3 eventsDangerous fire weather conditions were in place across north Georgia for the first couple of days in April due to dry low level conditions and low fuel moisture values. A few wildfires developed, including a significant one in Floyd County with over 100 acres burned.
• Wildfire in North Carolina, April 4 to 5, 2014$46,000 · 1 eventDebris caught on fire near the Holly Shelter Gameland.
• Wildfire in New Jersey, April 6 to 7, 20142 eventsA wildfire consumed approximately 1,600 acres of forest in Wharton State Forest in Washington Township (Burlington County) until it was contained. The wildfire started on the afternoon of the 6th.
• Wildfire in Georgia, April 10 to 12, 2014$32,000 · 4 eventsA surface high dominated the area on the 10th and 11th, with dry conditions in place. Relative humidity values dropped below critical levels and with dry fuels, dangerous fire weather conditions developed, allowing several wildfires to burn.
• Drought in Texas, April 15 to 30, 20145 eventsMonthly rainfall amounts during the month of April were well below normal for South Texas. Soil moisture levels decreased dramatically during the month. Severe drought developed again over the northern Coastal Bend into the Victoria Crossroads by the end of the month.
• Drought in Colorado, April 15 to 30, 20142 eventsSevere drought conditions began to creep into the Four Corners region by late April as winter and early spring precipitation remained below normal.
• Drought in New Mexico, April 15 to 30, 20142 eventsAnother dry month for most of Southern New Mexico helped to increase the coverage of Severe(D2) drought into the Sierra Lakes Region which was previously in Moderate(D1) drought.
• Wildfire in Arizona, April 19 to 30, 20142 eventsThe Skunk Fire was started around 1415 MST on Saturday April 19, 2014 by lightning, approximately 14 miles east of San Carlos in northern Graham County.
• Wildfire in West Virginia, April 21 to 23, 20141 injured · 2 eventsAfter several days of dry weather, a few brush fires were observed on the 21st into the 22nd. A brush fire in southern Roane County caused 1 firefighter from the Walton VFD to be overcome by heat exhaustion.
• Drought in Arizona, April 22 to 30, 20142 eventsExtreme drought conditions persisted in parts of southeast Arizona through April. Meager precipitation amounts caused the area of extreme (D3) drought to expand farther northward in Graham County and westward in Pinal County.
• Wildfire and High Wind in Nevada, April 22 to 23, 2014$50,000 · 69 kt wind · 3 eventsA strong Pacific storm system brought a short period of high winds to portions of the Mojave Desert.
• Wildfire in New Jersey, April 23 to 26, 2014$50,000 · 3 eventsThe combination of strong gusty northwest winds, the lack of significant rain in over a week and low relative humidity levels helped several major wildfires spread quickly across the southern half of New Jersey on the 23rd and 24th. Containment was not reached until the 26th.
• Wildfire and High Wind in Utah, April 25, 201410 injured · $15,000 · 57 kt wind · 3 eventsA slow-moving storm system passed through Utah beginning April 25. The primary threat from this storm was gusty winds in the southern half of the state.
• Wildfire in New Jersey, April 26 to 28, 20142 eventsA wildfire charred nearly 1,000 acres of brush in Wharton State Forest in Waterford Township in Camden County on the 26th through the 28th. The wildfire started during the evening on the 26th and occurred west of U.S.
• Wildfire in Texas, April 28, 2014$250,000 · 1 eventA brush fire in the 3100 block of Owenwood Dr. burned 40 acres and destroyed two structures.
• Wildfire in California, April 30, 20143 injured · $6,000 · 1 eventThe Etiwanda fire began on April 30th around 0700 PST in the San Bernardino National Forest near Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County. The fire was due to an escaped illegal campfire a few days prior, when strong winds blew embers that ignited in Day Canyon.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 2014$77,000 · 35 eventsMany areas across north Texas, particularly the southeastern half of the region, saw improving conditions in the ongoing drought due to above-normal monthly rainfall.
• Drought in Oklahoma, May 1 to 31, 201443 eventsDespite several rounds of shower and thunderstorm activity, rain was fairly sparse through the month. A bout of very warm temperatures through the first half of the month allowed for substantial surface drying and drought conditions worsened across all of Oklahoma.
• Wildfire in Texas, May 1 to 9, 2014$50,000 · 1 eventThe Malone Fire in northwestern Val Verde County was brought under control on May 9. The fire began April 27 and eventually burned 14,587 acres and destroyed two structures.
• Drought in Nebraska, May 1 to 31, 201426 eventsThe drought that began in June 2012 was eased across the northwest as convection brought rainfall.
• Drought in Kansas, May 1 to 31, 201424 eventsAn unusually dry winter and spring, pushed portions of Central and South Central Kansas, back into extreme (D3) and severe drought (D2) for May 2104.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 201424 eventsThe drought intensified during May across West Central Texas as much of the area experienced extreme to exceptional drought conditions. The exceptional drought conditions included Sutton and Kimble Counties.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 201424 eventsDrought conditions significantly improved by the end of May due to widespread and abundant rainfall during Memorial Day weekend. Most areas improved one to two drought levels by the end of the month.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 201420 eventsThe dry spring pattern continued through most of May across the Texas Panhandle before an abrupt change to a wet pattern over Memorial Day weekend.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 201414 eventsMost of South Central Texas received above normal rainfall in May. A portion of the western counties had less than normal, but mainly between 50 and 100 percent of normal. With the wet weather a number of counties had improved drought conditions.
• Drought in Kansas, May 1, 201413 eventsNorthwest Kansas counties showed no change in terms of drought status during the month of May. The entire area remains in either D2 (Severe) or D3 (Extreme) Drought.
• Drought in Oklahoma, May 1 to 31, 201412 eventsIsolated areas across eastern Oklahoma received slightly above average rainfall in May 2014 but most of the region experienced below average rainfall during the month. In fact, a lot of the area only received between 25 and 50 percent of normal rainfall.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 20148 eventsSeveral rounds of shower and thunderstorm activity occurred throughout the month, but much of this activity occurred to the east of the worst drought conditions. Therefore, drought conditions persisted across all of western north Texas through the month.
• Drought in Nebraska, May 1 to 31, 20148 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, May 2014 marked the 24th-consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued some portion of this 24-county South Central Nebraska area, continuing one of the most notable droughts in decades.
• Drought in Kansas, May 1 to 31, 20146 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, May 2014 marked the 24th-consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued some or most of this six-county portion of North Central Kansas, continuing one of the most notable droughts in decades.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 20145 eventsAbove normal rainfall occurred over most of South Texas during the month of May. Below normal rainfall occurred in eastern Calhoun County and northern La Salle County.
• Drought in Nebraska, May 1 to 31, 20143 eventsThe drought status across southwest Nebraska did not change during the month of May, with the area remaining in D2 (Severe) to D3 (Extreme) Drought. However, precipitation was well above normal over Dundy county with sites ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 above normal.
• Drought in Oklahoma, May 1 to 31, 20143 eventsThe dry spring pattern continued through most of May across the Oklahoma Panhandle before an abrupt change to a wet pattern over Memorial Day weekend.
• Drought in New Mexico, May 1 to 31, 201440 eventsExceptional drought conditions (D4) eased somewhat across far eastern New Mexico during May 2014, thanks to a wet pattern that developed late in the month.
• Drought in New Mexico, May 1 to 31, 201417 eventsAnother very dry month led to some increase in drought severity during the month of May. Some areas that had previously been in Severe(D2) drought were put into Extreme(D3) drought.
• Drought in Arizona, May 1 to 31, 20146 eventsExtreme drought (D3) conditions persisted in parts of southeast Arizona through May as little if any rain was observed. The drought area remained unchanged from April.
• Drought in Colorado, May 1 to 31, 20142 eventsDespite a somewhat cool, wet spring, drought conditions persisted in the Four Corners region.
• Wildfire in Arizona, May 1 to 31, 20142 eventsThe Skunk Fire was started around 1415 MST on Saturday April 19, 2014 by lightning, approximately 14 miles east of San Carlos. The fire was 63 acres on May 1, 2014.
• Wildfire in California, May 1 to 6, 20143 injured · $6,000 · 1 eventThe Etiwanda fire began on April 30th around 0700 PST in the San Bernardino National Forest near Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County. The fire was due to an escaped illegal campfire a few days prior, when strong winds blew embers that ignited in Day Canyon.
• Drought in California, May 1 to 31, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of May, 2014. Extreme to Exceptional drought was detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor for almost the entire Central California region. This extent of exceptional drought is extremely unusual for California.
• Wildfire in Oklahoma, May 4 to 8, 20141 death · 2 injured · 2 eventsUnseasonably hot and dry conditions combined with strong and gusty southwest winds created an environment ripe for wildfires across much of Oklahoma. At least two large fires occurred the first week in May.
• Drought in Texas, May 6 to 12, 20145 eventsDuring a rather dry April and first week of May, little to no rainfall was recorded over the center of the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas.
• Heat in South Carolina, May 8, 20141 death · 1 eventAn infant was left unattended in a car and died due to hyperthermia.
• Wildfire in Texas, May 11 to 14, 20141 death · $10 million · 1 eventThe Double Diamond Wildfire began around 1520CST in Hutchinson county about two miles northwest of Fritch near the Harbor Bay area of Lake Meredith National Recreational Area.
• Wildfire in California, May 13 to 22, 20146 injured · $29 million · 8 eventsMid-May was marked by a period of very hot, dry and windy conditions. This included an unusually strong Santa Ana wind event with a 1036 mb surface high over the northern Great Basin.
• Wildfire in Arizona, May 20 to 26, 2014$7.0 million · 2 eventsA human caused fire started out just north of Slide Rock State Park on May 20 just before 4 PM during Red Flag Conditions. The fire quickly spread north up the canyon and northwest up the side of the canyon. A type I Incident Management Team was called in to fight the fire.
• Wildfire in California, May 26 to 31, 2014$1.0 million · 1 eventThe Hunters wildfire was managed by CalFire. Ignition was 5/26/14 and the cause was unknown. The location was 5 miles south of Coulterville, CA (Mariposa County) and the size was 677 acres. Containment was reached on 6/2 and the cost to containment was $4.4 Million.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 2014$55,000 · 32 eventsA slight improvement in drought conditions occurred over the south-central and southeastern counties, while the rest of the region remained mostly unchanged in the Severe and Extreme drought categories.
• Drought in Oklahoma, June 1 to 30, 201446 eventsRains throughout the month brought widespread moderate improvements to the drought. Most of these improvements were seen over northern and central Oklahoma, which experienced above normal precipitation for the month.
• Drought in Kansas, June 1 to 30, 201424 eventsDry conditions early in the month led to the drought continuing across the area for the first week of June. Welcome rainfall began to occur during the middle part of the month, and continued for the rest of the month, bringing drought relief to much of the region.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 201424 eventsRepeated widespread rainfall events through June further alleviated short and long term drought conditions across the South Plains, Rolling Plains, and extreme southern Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 201420 eventsThe wet summer pattern continued through June for most of the Texas Panhandle, with most locations measuring at least 3 to 4 inches of rain for the month. Some parts of the Panhandle received greater than 6 inches of rain, or greater than twice the monthly average for June.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 201418 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, severe drought continues to impact the Big Country, while severe to extreme drought conditions continue to affect parts of the Northern Edwards Plateau and the Northwest Hill Country.
• Drought in Nebraska, June 1 to 30, 201418 eventsAbundant rainfall fell across much of western and north central Nebraska during the month of June. Some locations received record or near record monthly rainfall.
• Drought in Kansas, June 1 to 30, 201413 eventsPrecipitation was well above normal during the month of June at almost all cooperative observer sites in northwest Kansas. This resulted in improvement in the drought rating in some counties.
• Drought in Oklahoma, June 1 to 30, 201412 eventsJune 2014 saw a number of organized, convective systems move through eastern Oklahoma.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 20148 eventsWith about normal rainfall for the month, drought over western north Texas changed very little, remaining mostly in the D4 category.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 20148 eventsJune brought beneficial rain to much of South Central Texas with the Rio Grande Plains experiencing a near record rainfall event near the end of the month.
• Drought in Kansas, June 1 to 17, 20146 eventsIn terms of drought classification assigned by the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor, June 2014 marked a momentous occasion across this six-county North Central Kansas area: For the first time since June 2012, the entire local area became void of category D2 Severe-or-worse drought.
• Drought in Nebraska, June 1 to 23, 20146 eventsIn terms of drought classification assigned by the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor, June 2014 marked a momentous occasion across this 24-county South Central Nebraska area: For the first time since June 2012, the entire local area became void of category D2 Severe-or-worse drought.
• Drought in Nebraska, June 1 to 30, 20143 eventsHeavy rainfall during the month of June greatly improved the long-standing drought situation across southwest Nebraska. Precipitation at cooperative observer sites ranged from 1.9 to 6.6 inches above normal for the month.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 27, 20143 eventsAbove normal rainfall occurred over the northern Coastal Bend to the Victoria Crossroads and over the western Brush Country during the month of June. Below normal rainfall occurred over the southern Coastal Bend and eastern Brush Country.
• Drought in Oklahoma, June 1 to 30, 20143 eventsThe wet summer pattern continued through June for most of the Oklahoma Panhandle, but rainfall remained much below normal in the western Panhandle.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 17, 2014$1,000 · 2 eventsDrought conditions improved over several locations across the central and eastern portions of the region due to beneficial rains received during June of 2014.
• Drought in New Mexico, June 1 to 30, 201440 eventsJune 2014 was warmer than normal over most of New Mexico. Precipitation was quite varied from non-existent to well below normal in the west to above normal in the east, with central areas having a mixture of near and below normal precipitation.
• Drought in New Mexico, June 1 to 30, 201417 eventsA dry month of June kept drought conditions generally in the Severe(D2) to Extreme(D3) categories for another month across Southwest New Mexico. All locations around the region reported below normal precipitation for the month.
• Drought in Arizona, June 1 to 30, 20145 eventsExtreme drought (D3) conditions continued across part of southeast Arizona and expanded westward in Pinal county and eastward across northern Graham and Greenlee counties during June. Outside of the Chiricahua Mountains, little if any precipitation was observed during June.
• Drought in Colorado, June 1 to 30, 20142 eventsJune 2014 lived up to its reputation as being one of the driest months of the year in western Colorado.
• Wildfire in Arizona, June 1 to 8, 20142 eventsThe Skunk Fire was started around 1415 MST on Saturday April 19, 2014 by lightning, approximately 14 miles east of San Carlos. and was officially contained on June 8th after a total of 73,682 acres were consumed. No injuries, fatalities, or damage were reported.
• Wildfire in California, June 1 to 2, 2014$1.0 million · 1 eventThe Hunters wildfire was managed by CalFire. Ignition was 5/26/14 and the cause was unknown. The location was 5 miles south of Coulterville, CA (Mariposa County) and the size was 677 acres. Containment was reached on 6/2 and the cost to containment was $4.4 Million.
• Drought in California, June 1 to 30, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of June, 2014. Exceptional drought was detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor for almost the entire Central California region. This extent of exceptional drought is extremely unusual for California.
• Wildfire in Texas, June 2 to 3, 2014$140,000 · 2 eventsGrass fires on two separate days near Faught in Lamar County burned a hay crop and damaged equipment used to gather the hay.
• Heat in Arizona, June 3, 20141 death · 1 eventOne man died of heat related causes in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. His companion is still missing.
• Heat in California, June 6, 20141 death · 1 eventOne man died of heat related causes in Death Valley National Park.
• Heat in Nevada, June 8 to 11, 20142 deaths · 1 eventTwo people died of heat related causes in the Las Vegas Valley.
• Wildfire in Washington, June 8 to 9, 2014$50,000 · 1 eventSeveral weeks of warm and dry weather coupled with ongoing drought conditions from the previous winter resulted in very dry fuels around the Wenatchee Area. Gusty winds on the evening of the 8th helped fan a grass fire some time after 2300 PDT near Chelan, WA.
• Drought in Arizona, June 10 to 30, 20142 eventsExtreme drought (D3) conditions continued across part of southeast Arizona and expanded westward in Pinal county and eastward across northern Graham and Greenlee counties during June. Outside of the Chiricahua Mountains, little if any precipitation was observed during June.
• Wildfire in New Mexico, June 15 to 30, 2014$500,000 · 1 eventA human-caused wildfire that started near the Asaayi Lake and Bowl Canyon recreation area east of Crystal, New Mexico burned for nearly 2 weeks. The communities of Naschitti and Sheep Springs were partially evacuated.
• Heat in New Jersey, June 17 to 18, 201412 eventsThe first back-to-back days with high temperatures of 90 degrees or higher occurred across central and southern New Jersey on the 17th and 18th. For many places, these were also the first 90s of the year.
• Heat in Pennsylvania, June 17 to 18, 20145 eventsThe first back-to-back days with high temperatures of 90 degrees or higher occurred across southeastern Pennsylvania on the 17th and 18th. For many places, these were the first 90s of the year.
• Heat in Delaware, June 18 to 19, 20141 death · 4 eventsThe first back-to-back days with high temperatures of 90 degrees or higher occurred across Delaware on the 17th and 18th. High temperatures were in the lower to mid 90s both days with the hottest weather on the 18th.
• Wildfire in Puerto Rico, June 28, 2014$1,000 · 5 eventsStrong surface winds, combined with very low relative humidity and enough fuels, aid in the spreading of Wildfires across the southern slopes of Puerto Rico.
• Excessive Heat in Missouri, June 30, 20143 injured · 3 eventsA Heat Advisory was issued for the St. Louis Metro area as temperatures rose to the middle 90s with the heat index around 105. St. Louis County health authorities reported 3 heat related injuries.
• Excessive Heat in Illinois, June 30, 20142 eventsA Heat Advisory was issued for the St. Louis Metro area as temperatures rose to the middle 90s with the heat index around 105. St. Louis County health authorities reported 3 heat related injuries.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 2014$96,000 · 24 eventsSignificant drought conditions persisted in the northwestern quadrant of the CWA where rainfall totals averaged less than 2-3 inches. Heavy rains fell across areas mainly north to east of the DFW Metroplex where an average of 5-10 of rain was recorded.
• Drought in Oklahoma, July 1 to 31, 201444 eventsWhile several rainfall events occurred throughout the month, drought conditions remained mostly unchanged across Oklahoma.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 201424 eventsOverall drought conditions continued to improve over the area with many areas continuing the wet period from May and June. However, the second half of the month saw drier conditions.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 201420 eventsThe wet summer pattern continued through July for most of the Texas Panhandle, with most locations measuring at least 2 to 4 inches of rain for the month. Some parts of the Panhandle received greater than 6 inches of rain, or greater than twice the monthly average for July.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 201412 eventsThe U.S. Drought Monitor shows conditions continuing|to improve for July. Extreme drought conditions are shown only across |portions of Shackelford and Haskell counties.
• Drought in Oklahoma, July 1 to 31, 201411 eventsSeveral unseasonably strong cold fronts passed through eastern Oklahoma during July 2014.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 20149 eventsThe South Central Texas counties that most needed rain generally didn’t get it in July. Most of the area that was in Severe Drought Category (D2) or worse at the beginning of the month had 75 percent of normal rainfall or less in July.
• Drought in Kansas, July 1 to 31, 20149 eventsWelcome rainfall continued for the first part of July 2014, and continued off and on for the rest of the month, bringing drought relief to much of the region. The heavy rainfall continued off and on for much of the month, reducing or ending the drought in some locations.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 20148 eventsDespite several rainfall events across north Texas, only minor drought improvement occurred.
• Drought in Kansas, July 1 to 31, 20148 eventsDrought conditions in July either remained unchanged or showed slight improvement from June. The western two tiers of counties in northwest Kansas continued in Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) Drought.
• Drought in Oklahoma, July 1 to 31, 20143 eventsThe wet summer pattern continued through July for most of the Oklahoma Panhandle, with most locations measuring at least 2 to 3 inches of rain for the month. A few parts of the Panhandle received greater than 5 inches of rain.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 20142 eventsLess than half an inch of rain was reported by a CoCoRaHS observer W of Rio Grande City during all of June, with all of it falling on one day.
• Drought in New Mexico, July 1 to 31, 201423 eventsJuly 2014 was wetter to much wetter than normal over much of the state as an active monsoon pattern dominated, particularly the second half of the month.
• Drought in New Mexico, July 1 to 31, 201417 eventsSome improvement in drought conditions was noted across much of Sierra County in July, but conditions worsened over Hidalgo, Grant and Dona Ana Counties.
• Drought in Arizona, July 1 to 31, 20148 eventsExtreme drought (D3) conditions continued across part of southeast Arizona during July. Just a small portion of Graham and Greenlee counties was removed from the extreme drought area because of above average monsoonal rainfall.
• Drought in Utah, July 1 to 31, 20144 eventsThe month of July started out hot and dry. However, by the middle of the month the Southwest Monsoon season had begun. The majority of the climate reporting stations reported near normal to slightly above normal monthly precipitation totals.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 20142 eventsMost of El Paso County was put into Severe(D2) drought the beginning of July, but some decent rainfall across the east brought some improvement by the middle of the month.
• Drought in Colorado, July 1 to 31, 20142 eventsThe month of July started out hot and dry but by the middle of the month the Southwest Monsoon season had begun.
• Drought in California, July 1 to 31, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of July, 2014. Exceptional drought was detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor for almost the entire Central California region. This extent of exceptional drought is extremely unusual for California.
• Heat in Delaware, July 1, 20143 eventsA hot start to July peaked on the 2nd with high temperatures well into the 90s and afternoon heat index values reaching near 105 degrees. An approaching cold front which started to trigger a series of showers and thunderstorms made the 3rd slightly cooler.
• Excessive Heat in Nevada, July 1, 20143 deaths · 1 eventExcessive Heat Warning criteria were reached in Las Vegas on July 1st, and nearly reached on the 2nd and 3rd. Four people died of heat related causes during this period - three in Las Vegas and one in Death Valley.
• Excessive Heat in Washington, July 1, 20141 death · 1 injured · 2 eventsAn upper level ridge combined with a surface thermal trough and low level offshore winds resulted in a hot day across Southwest Washington where inland temperatures peaked in the upper 90s inland and the upper 80s along the coast.
• Excessive Heat in Oregon, July 1, 20141 death · 1 injured · 1 eventAn upper level ridge combined with a surface thermal trough and low level offshore winds resulted in a hot day across Northwest Oregon where inland temperatures peaked in the upper 90s inland and the upper 80s along the coast.
• Wildfire in Nevada, July 1 to 10, 20142 injured · $175,000 · 2 eventsThree wildfires broke out in southern Nevada, destroying several structures and vehicles before being contained.
• Heat in New Jersey, July 2, 201414 eventsA hot start to July peaked on the 2nd in interior New Jersey with high temperatures inthe lower to mid 90s and afternoon heat index values reaching 100 to 105 degrees.
• Heat in Pennsylvania, July 2, 201411 eventsA hot start to July in Eastern Pennsylvania peaked on the 2nd with (except for the Poconos) high temperatures in the lower to mid 90s and afternoon heat index values reaching 100 to 105 degrees.
• Heat in Maryland, July 2, 20145 eventsA hot start to July for the Eastern Shore peaked on the 2nd with high temperatures well into the 90s and inland afternoon heat index values reaching around 105 degrees.
• Wildfire in California, July 3 to 6, 20144 injured · $900,000 · 1 eventThe Banner Fire started around 0930 PST on July 3 in the Banner, California area, near Route 78 in San Diego County. It quickly spread westward and expanded to 150 acres, threatening the town of Julian.
• Excessive Heat in California, July 3, 20141 death · 1 eventExcessive Heat Warning criteria were reached in Las Vegas on July 1st, and nearly reached on the 2nd and 3rd. Four people died of heat related causes during this period - three in Las Vegas and one in Death Valley.
• Wildfire in California, July 4, 2014$2.5 million · 1 eventDry and warm weather conditions with gusty west-southwest winds of 10 to 20 mph gusts to 25mph helped to fan the flame of a fire in Collinsville, CA.
• Heat in Nevada, July 5, 20141 death · 1 eventOne man died in Las Vegas of heat related causes.
• Drought in Texas, July 9 to 31, 20141 eventWhile some welcome rain did fall over the area during the first half of July, it would not be enough to prevent the spread of intensifying drought conditions.
• Heat in Nevada, July 9, 20141 death · 1 eventOne woman died in Las Vegas of heat related causes.
• Wildfire in Puerto Rico, July 10, 20142 eventsThe observations and 24-hr trends suggested that red flag conditions would be met over Puerto Rico and Vieques.
• Wildfire in California, July 11 to 26, 20141 death · 21 injured · 1 eventA warming trend developed Friday, July 11th and into the weekend from a warm high pressure system building westward over California. This resulted in temperatures in the 90s to low 100s with dry weather.
• Wildfire in Washington, July 14 to 31, 2014$122 million · 2 eventsThe largest fire in Washington State history is now the 2014 Carlton Complex. Central Washington was in drought status. The fire was started by lightning on July 14.
• Wildfire and Damaging Winds in Washington, July 14, 2014$7,000 · 52 kt wind · 3 eventsA closed upper-level low was positioned over Eastern Washington on the afternoon of July 14th. The cold pool associated with the low combined with surface temperatures in the nineties led to a unstable afternoon air mass and widely scattered thunderstorms.
• Wildfire in Washington, July 15 to 31, 2014$60,000 · 1 eventThe Chiwaukum Complex was seven fires spread across Chelan County between Lake Chelan and the Highway 2 corridor. The complex consisted of the Chiwaukum Creek, Shoofly, Mills Canyon, Kelly Mountain, Alpine Fire, Duncan, and Hansel Creek.
• Heat in Nevada, July 17, 20141 death · 1 eventOne person died in Las Vegas of heat related causes.
• Wildfire in Washington, July 19 to 23, 2014$22,000 · 2 eventsThe Watermelon Hill fire started in Lincoln County and was fanned by strong westerly winds east into Spokane County. The fire was started by three individuals shooting explosive targets.
• Excessive Heat in Oklahoma, July 21 to 23, 20148 injured · 1 eventA strong subtropical ridge of high pressure over the south central United States resulted in a period of dry and hot weather across northeastern Oklahoma.
• Heat in Wisconsin, July 22, 201411 eventsGusty west to southwest winds brought a hot and very humid airmass into southern Wisconsin just ahead of an approaching cold front.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in Nevada, July 22 to 23, 20141 death · 2 eventsOne person died of heat related causes on July 22nd, and Las Vegas reached Excessive Heat Warning criteria on July 23rd.
• Excessive Heat in Kansas, July 24, 20141 death · 1 eventWichita's high temperature on the 24th reached 90 degrees. Late that afternoon, a 10 month old girl was left in a car. Around 2 hours later, at 6:41 PM, Wichita police were dispatched. The girl died a few minutes later.
• Drought in Kentucky, July 25 to 31, 20145 eventsDrought conditions that had started in central Kentucky earlier in the summer slowly spread west, encompassing parts of western Kentucky by late July. The area of moderate drought conditions extended from Murray to Hopkinsville and Elkton.
• Excessive Heat in Oklahoma, July 25 to 27, 201414 injured · 3 eventsThe subtropical ridge of high pressure strengthened over the south central United States after it had weakened for a few days. Another period of dry and hot weather resulted across northeastern Oklahoma.
• Wildfire in California, July 25 to 31, 20142 injured · 1 eventBuilding high pressure resulted in hot, above normal temperatures and generally light, dry northerly winds. Weather conditions combined with very dry fuels allowed Sand Fire incident to grow into 4,240 acres in Amador and El Dorado Counties.
• Excessive Heat in Missouri, July 26, 20145 injured · 6 eventsHigh temperatures rose to the upper 90s with the heat index around 105. St. Louis County health authorities reported 5 heat related injuries.
• Excessive Heat in Illinois, July 26, 20145 eventsHigh temperatures rose to the upper 90s with the heat index around 105.
• Wildfire in California, July 26 to 31, 20142 eventsThe El Portal wildfire began July 26, 2014 and was contained on August 4, 2014, 1 mile east of El Portal in Mariposa County. The fire burned 4689 acres, of which 1092 acres were in Yosemite National Park and 3597 acres in Stanislaus National Forest.
• Heat in Kentucky, July 27, 201422 eventsThe combination of temperatures in the lower to middle 90's and extreme humidity resulted in heat index values in the 105 to 110 degree range. A few afternoon heat index readings included 109 degrees at Paducah and Princeton, and 107 at Madisonville.
• Heat in Missouri, July 27, 20146 eventsAlong and south of a line from Doniphan to Poplar Bluff to Cape Girardeau, the combination of temperatures in the lower to middle 90's and extreme humidity resulted in heat index values in the 105 to 110 degree range.
• Heat in Illinois, July 27, 20145 eventsAcross the Ohio River counties of extreme southern Illinois, the combination of temperatures in the lower to middle 90's and extreme humidity resulted in heat index values in the 105 to 111 degree range.
• Wildfire in California, July 28 to 31, 20142 eventsThe French wildfire began July 28, 2014 and was contained on August 19, 2014, 18 miles east of Oakhurst in Madera County. The fire burned 13,837 acres. It was human caused. There were no structures lost and no fatalities. Cost of containment was $21.4 million.
• Wildfire in Georgia, July 29, 20141 injured · 1 eventA wildfire broke out over Bacon county after a few days of hot temperatures an heat advisories.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 2014$51,000 · 19 eventsSevere to Exceptional drought conditions were confined mainly to the northwestern half of North Texas during August 2014.
• Drought in Oklahoma, August 1 to 31, 201438 eventsWith only a handful of rainfall events, drought conditions persisted or worsened across Oklahoma.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 201424 eventsA mix of improved and worsened drought conditions occurred across the area throughout August. Scattered thunderstorm activity brought bouts of heavy rain for some areas, but others unfortunately missed out.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 201419 eventsAugust was another mainly dry month for South Central Texas. Most of the region had below normal precipitation and much of that area had 50 percent or less than normal.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 201418 eventsAugust was a drier than normal month for most of the Texas Panhandle. Scattered areas around the Panhandle measured over 3 inches of rain during the month, but most locations received less than 2 inches.
• Drought in Oklahoma, August 1 to 31, 201410 eventsMost of eastern Oklahoma received below normal rainfall during August 2014 with some areas not even receiving 10 percent of their normal average precipitation for the month.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 201410 eventsThe U.S. Drought Monitor shows degradation along and north of Interstate 20. Extreme drought conditions were shown across Shackelford, Haskell, Throckmorton, Jones and Fisher counties.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 20148 eventsWith little to no rainfall through the month, drought conditions persisted or worsened across north Texas.
• Drought in Kansas, August 1 to 31, 20147 eventsExtreme western counties in Kansas continue to be rated as being in Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) Drought depsite many areas receiving above normal rainfall during the month of August.
• Drought in Kentucky, August 1 to 16, 20145 eventsDrought conditions that had started in parts of western Kentucky in July ended by late August. The area of moderate drought conditions extended from Murray to Hopkinsville and Elkton. Impacts of the drought were primarily agricultural.
• Drought in Oklahoma, August 1 to 31, 20143 eventsAugust was a drier than normal month for most of the Oklahoma Panhandle. Eastern Beaver County received between 3 to 6 inches of rainfall, but most of the remaining parts of the Panhandle received less than 2 inches.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 4, 20142 eventsWhile there were a few spotty showers and thunderstorms associated with the seabreeze, little rain fell during the last week of July and drought conditions held steady across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas.
• Drought in New Mexico, August 1 to 31, 201421 eventsAn active monsoon pattern that characterized July 2014 continued into August, with an especially wet period during the first several days of the month.
• Drought in New Mexico, August 1 to 31, 201413 eventsMost areas received near to above average precipitation during the month of August. The month started out with a large area in Extreme(D3) drought, but by the end of the month, just a small area in Hidalgo and Grant Counties had some areas of Extreme(D3) drought.
• Drought in Arizona, August 1 to 26, 20144 eventsExtreme drought (D3) conditions continued across part of southeast Arizona during August, but the overall area was reduced due to monsoonal rainfall.
• Drought in Arizona, August 1 to 31, 20144 eventsExtreme drought (D3) conditions continued across part of southeast Arizona during August, but the overall area was reduced due to monsoonal rainfall.
• Drought in Utah, August 1 to 31, 20144 eventsAn active and moist Southwest monsoon benefited northeast Utah as the main precipitation plume rotated around high pressure centered over the southern High Plains.
• Drought in New Mexico, August 1 to 5, 20143 eventsMost areas received near to above average precipitation during the month of August. Much of the Sacramento Mountains by the end of the month were completely out of drought conditions.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 5, 20142 eventsMonsoon moisture helped to improve drought conditions for El Paso County.
• Drought in Colorado, August 1 to 31, 20142 eventsMuch of the Four Corners area of Colorado did not fare well in receiving rainfall during August, including the Durango and Cortez areas where monthly totals were below normal. Thus, drought conditions persisted in the lower elevations of southwest Colorado.
• Wildfire in Washington, August 1 to 26, 2014$122 million · 2 eventsThe largest fire in Washington State history is now the 2014 Carlton Complex. Central Washington was in drought status. The fire was started by lightning on July 14.
• Wildfire in Oregon, August 1 to 13, 2014$1.5 million · 1 eventThe Beaver Complex was made up of the Salt Creek and Oregon Gulch fires, both of which were started by lightning on the evening of 07/30/2014. As of 0330 PST on 08/13/14, the fire covered 35302 acres and was 90 percent contained.
• Wildfire in California, August 1 to 14, 2014$1.0 million · 1 eventThe Day Wildfire was started by lightning on 07/30/2014. As of 08/13/2014, the fire covered 13153 acres and was 96% contained. 15.9 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts. Ten structures were lost.
• Wildfire in California, August 1 to 31, 2014$600,000 · 1 eventThe KNF Beaver Wildfire was started by lightning on 07/29/2014. As of 08/31/2014, the fire covered 32496 acres and was 100% contained. 27.1 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts. Six structures were lost.
• Wildfire in Washington, August 1 to 26, 2014$60,000 · 1 eventThe Chiwaukum Complex was seven fires spread across Chelan County between Lake Chelan and the Highway 2 corridor. The complex consisted of the Chiwaukum Creek, Shoofly, Mills Canyon, Kelly Mountain, Alpine Fire, Duncan, and Hansel Creek.
• Drought in California, August 1 to 31, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of August, 2014. Exceptional drought was detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor for almost the entire Central California region. This extent of exceptional drought is extremely unusual for California.
• Wildfire in California, August 1 to 4, 20142 eventsThe El Portal wildfire began July 26, 2014 and was contained on August 4, 2014, 1 mile east of El Portal in Mariposa County. The fire burned 4689 acres, of which 1092 acres were in Yosemite National Park and 3597 acres in Stanislaus National Forest.
• Wildfire in California, August 1 to 19, 20142 eventsThe French wildfire began July 28, 2014 and was contained on August 19, 2014, 18 miles east of Oakhurst in Madera County. The fire burned 13,837 acres. It was human caused. There were no structures lost and no fatalities. Cost of containment was $21.4 million.
• Wildfire in Washington, August 1 to 5, 2014$300,000 · 1 eventA 600 acre wildfire broke out around 1330 PST on August 1st west of Highway 20, south of Winthrop near Rising Eagle Road. The fire's cause is still under investigation.
• Wildfire in California, August 2 to 31, 2014$200,000 · 1 eventThis complex consists of several wildfires combined into one unit for management purposes. The Whites, Leef, and Ray's Fire are all included here. All of these wildfires were started by lightning on 07/29/2014, but many, if not all, of them were not fought until August.
• Heat in Nevada, August 2, 20141 death · 1 eventOne man died in Las Vegas of heat related causes.
• Wildfire in Idaho, August 2 to 14, 20143 injured · $2.3 million · 1 eventA lightning sparked wildfire twenty four miles south of Lewiston Idaho torched 65,200 acres of rough terrain west of Wapshilla Ridge and east of the Snake River in southern Nez Perce county. Nine homes were lost in the fire and three firefighters were injured.
• Wildfire in Oregon, August 2 to 31, 20141 eventLightning started a fire east of Imnaha on the Oregon side of Hell's Canyon. Several road closures occurred due to this fire. Inciweb info: Hat Point Road (FSR #4240) is OPEN to the Hat Point Overlook and Warnock Corral Trailhead.
• Drought in Texas, August 5 to 31, 20145 eventsSome much welcome and beneficial rain fell across the northern ranchlands and the western brush country the first few days of August, with some areas receiving over 3 inches. This rainfall while helpful, only maintained drought conditions in the areas where it fell.
• Wildfire in Texas, August 7, 2014$15,000 · 1 eventA 15 acre grass fire destroyed a shed near Mildred in Navarro County.
• Drought in Texas, August 10 to 31, 20145 eventsAbove normal temperatures and below normal rainfall occurred over the Victoria Crossroads and portions of the Coastal Bend during the month of August. Drought conditions returned during the month for the Victoria Crossroads and coastal sections of the Coastal Bend.
• Heat in Nevada, August 10, 20141 death · 1 eventOne man died in Las Vegas of heat related causes.
• Drought in Texas, August 12 to 31, 20144 eventsRainfall earlier in the month allowed for most drought conditions in most areas to hold steady, but for those areas where rainfall was not as plentiful, drought conditions began to worsen.
• Heat in Nevada, August 18, 20141 death · 1 eventOne man died in Las Vegas of heat related causes.
• Drought in Texas, August 19 to 31, 20143 eventsLittle rain fell during the middle of August and drought conditions responded accordingly. Extreme (D3) drought conditions returned to the coastal portions of Kenedy County, while Severe (D2) drought conditions returned to coastal Cameron County.
• Heat in Kentucky, August 20 to 27, 201422 eventsA prolonged period of late summer heat and humidity followed an unusually cool July. For eight consecutive days, the heat index peaked between 100 and 110 degrees each afternoon. The heat index reached as high as 115 at some locations in the Henderson/Owensboro area on the 23rd.
• Heat in Illinois, August 20 to 27, 201419 eventsA prolonged period of late summer heat and humidity followed an unusually cool July. For seven consecutive days, the heat index peaked between 100 and 110 degrees each afternoon.
• Heat in Missouri, August 20 to 27, 201411 eventsA prolonged period of late summer heat and humidity followed an unusually cool July. For seven to eight consecutive days, the heat index peaked between 100 and 110 degrees each afternoon.
• Excessive Heat in Missouri, August 20 to 27, 201429 eventsThe first extended heat wave of the summer started on August 20 and lasted through August 27. High temperatures in the mid to upper 90s along with high humidity pushed the Heat Index from 105 to 110 degrees. St.
• Excessive Heat in Illinois, August 20 to 27, 201417 eventsThe first extended heat wave of the summer started on August 20 and lasted through August 27. High temperatures in the mid to upper 90s along with high humidity pushed the Heat Index from 105 to 110 degrees.
• Heat in Indiana, August 22 to 27, 20146 eventsA prolonged period of late summer heat and humidity followed an unusually cool July. For six consecutive days, the heat index peaked between 100 and 110 degrees each afternoon.
• Heat in Illinois, August 25, 20141 death · 1 eventA large upper-level ridge of high pressure built into the Midwest from August 22nd through August 26th, causing afternoon high temperatures to soar into the 90s. The hot temperatures combined with high relative humidity to produce heat index values in excess of 100 degrees.
• Drought in Georgia, August 26 to 31, 201412 eventsA dry summer led to the development of D2 (severe) drought conditions across portions of southwest Georgia during August. This drought continued into September.
• Drought in Texas, August 26 to 31, 20143 eventsAreas of moderate to heavy rainfall fell across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas during the last few days of the month, but the effects would not be felt during the month of August.
• Wildfire in Washington, August 27 to 28, 2014$130,000 · 1 eventA downed power line was thought to be responsible for a twenty acre brush fire north of Deer Park near Eloika Lake. It was not clear what caused the power line to go down. Multiple outbuildings and vehicles were burned in the blaze.
• Heat in Virginia, August 31, 20141 death · 1 eventThe first 90-degree day of August 2014 and one of the few 90-degree days overall of a very cool summer also brought a heat-related child death. A 2-year old girl left in a parked, closed van was found dead the following day.
• Drought in Georgia, September 1 to 30, 201414 eventsA dry summer led to the development of D2 (severe) drought conditions across portions of southwest Georgia during August. This drought continued through September and into October for portions of the area.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 2014$3.0 million · 24 eventsWelcome heavy rains this month visited all of the South Plains, portions of the adjacent Rolling Plains and southwestern Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 2014$105,000 · 19 eventsSevere to Exceptional Drought conditions continued across the northwestern half of the region for most of September 2014. However, little rain through the month resulted in deteriorating conditions across a larger part of the region.
• Drought in Oklahoma, September 1 to 30, 201443 eventsWith very few rainfall events across Oklahoma during the month of September, drought conditions persisted or worsened.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 201417 eventsSeptember saw above normal precipitation for the western two thirds of the Texas Panhandle, but very little fell over the eastern third of the Panhandle.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 201414 eventsSeptember was a bit a mixed bag as far as rainfall west across South Central Texas. About half of the area had above normal precipitation and about half had less than normal. As a result none of our counties worsened during the month.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 201411 eventsThe U.S. Drought Monitor showed slight improvement along and north of Interstate 20 (Big Country) as a result of some beneficial rainfall in September.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 20148 eventsWith virtually no rainfall events across north Texas, drought conditions persisted across north Texas through the month of September.
• Drought in Kansas, September 1 to 30, 20147 eventsDrought conditions improved across far northwest and west-central Kansas during September. Areas of Extreme (D3) Drought improved to Severe (D2) Drought for the area, which includes Cheyenne, Sherman, Thomas, Wallace, Logan, Greeley and Wichita counties.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 15, 20147 eventsDrought conditions began to improve across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas during the first week of September as the benefits from rainfall during the end of August began to turn areas of brown to green across portions of the Lower to Mid Rio Grande Valley and…
• Drought in Oklahoma, September 1 to 30, 20147 eventsMost of eastern Oklahoma received below normal rainfall during September 2014, with the exception of areas along the Kansas border, eastern Choctaw County, and portions of Sequoyah and northern Le Flore Counties.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 20145 eventsAbundant rainfall occurred over the Coastal Bend, Brush Country, and portions of the Mid-Coast regions through the month of September. This alleviated the severe drought conditions over parts of South Texas.
• Drought in Oklahoma, September 1 to 30, 20143 eventsSeptember saw above normal precipitation for the western two thirds of the Oklahoma Panhandle, but very little fell over Beaver County. Most areas measured at least 1.5 to 2 inches during the month, with scattered amounts exceeding 3 inches or measuring less than 1 inch.
• Drought in New Mexico, September 1 to 30, 201418 eventsIn stark contrast to northern New Mexico, where precipitation was below normal during September 2014, southern areas of the state experienced well above if not record-breaking precipitation owing to the remnants of former Hurricane Odile that impacted the region for nearly a…
• Drought in New Mexico, September 1 to 23, 20148 eventsAbove normal rainfall across all of southern New Mexico lead to improvements in drought conditions for many areas. By September 23rd, all locations in these zones were in Moderate(D1) drought or better.
• Drought in New Mexico, September 1 to 30, 20145 eventsAbove normal rainfall across all of southern New Mexico lead to improvements in drought conditions for many areas. At the end of the month, no location in the region was still in Extreme(D3) drought.
• Drought in Arizona, September 1 to 30, 20143 eventsExtreme drought (D3) conditions continued across far eastern Pinal and much of western Graham Counties during September, but much of south central Pinal County was reduced to the severe drought category by month's end.
• Drought in Colorado, September 1 to 30, 20142 eventsThe Southwest monsoon continued to direct moisture into the Great Basin and central Rockies through September. Outside of two outlier drought zones, the bulk of the climate stations across western Colorado showed an excess of precipitation by at least 2/3 of an inch.
• Wildfire in California, September 1 to 30, 2014$600,000 · 1 eventThis complex consisted of around 17 fires started by lightning on 08/12/2014 at around 0100 PDT. As of the last report on 09/30/2014, the fire covered 132733 acres and was 97% contained. 87.4 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts. Six structures were lost.
• Drought in California, September 1 to 30, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of August, 2014. Exceptional drought was detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor for almost the entire Central California region. This extent of exceptional drought is extremely unusual for California.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 1 to 4, 20141 eventOn Friday, August 29, 2014, Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 2 (Incident Commander Chris Cline) was deployed to the Lost Hubcap Fire, burning approximately five miles south of the community of Monument. The Lost Hubcap Fire, reported around 1:30 p.m.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 1 to 17, 20141 eventSee August Storm Data for main discussion. Fire activity is being monitored, but no suppression actions are planned. No visible smokes as of 9/17/14. 90% contained.
• Wildfire and Damaging Wind in Florida, September 2, 2014$2,000 · 50 kt wind · 3 eventsMean layer high pressure was NW of the area with mean layer flow form the ENE. Sea breeze thunderstorms along the Atlantic coast developed during the early afternoon, and produced some lightning damage in Duval county, including a wildfire near Pumpkin Hill Creek.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 2 to 3, 20142 eventsStrong winds caused on prescribed fire to lose control east of the Pendleton. This fire would go on for several acres and burned mostly farm land, however there was a scrap yard that was overtaken by the fire.
• Excessive Heat in Missouri, September 4, 20142 injured · 6 eventsThe last excessive heat event of the summer hit on September 4. High temperatures rose to the lower 90s but high relative humidity values pushed the Heat Index to around 105 degrees. St. Louis County health authorities reported 2 heat related injuries.
• Excessive Heat in Illinois, September 4, 20142 eventsThe last day of excessive heat and humidity hit on September 4. High temperatures rose to lower to middle but high moisture values in the atmosphere pushed the Heat Index to around 105 degrees.
• Heat in Illinois, September 5, 201410 eventsSouthwest winds ahead of a cold front brought unseasonably hot and humid air. The cold front extended from Lake Michigan southwest to the Ozarks of Missouri during the midday hours.
• Wildfire in California, September 5 to 12, 20143 injured · 1 eventThe Bridge Fire was located 10 miles East of Mariposa in Mariposa County. It began on September 5, 2014 and grew to 300 acres before being contained on September 12, 2014. There were no fatalities, 3 injuries to fire fighters, and no structures lost.
• Drought in Texas, September 9 to 15, 20142 eventsA combination of rainfall events (the remnants of Dolly and a pair of weak tropical waves combined with a dissipating cold front) during the first half of September brought abundant rainfall to the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas, with virtually all of the region…
• Wildfire in Hawaii, September 9 to 12, 20141 eventA fire charred 60 acres of brush above a Kaanapali Coffee farm in west Maui. The blaze affected electric poles and downed power lines but did not damage any structures. No serious injuries were reported. The cost of damages was not available. The cause of the fire was unknown.
• Wildfire in California, September 13 to 30, 201410 injured · 1 eventA wildfire broke out near Pollock Pines around 6:37 pm on September 13th. Hot and dry conditions with southwest winds 10-20 mph caused rapid growth of the fire. The fire doubled in size to 114 square miles in a strong surge on September 17th.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 13 to 30, 20141 eventThe Onion Mountain Wildfire was caused by human activity and started around 1030 PDT on 09/13/2014. As of 09/30/14, the fire was 4105 acres in size and was 95 percent contained. 9.0 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts and no structures were lost.
• Wildfire in California, September 14 to 22, 20144 injured · 1 eventThe Courtney fire was located 3 miles East of Oakhurst in Madera County and burned toward the community of Bass Lake. The fire began on September 14, 2014 and burned 320 acres before being contained on September 22, 2014.
• Wildfire in California, September 15 to 21, 2014$20 million · 1 eventThe Boles fire started on the afternoon of 09/15/14 and spread quickly due to strong winds. It devastated the town of Weed in northern California. In a matter of hours 222 structures were lost, including many homes and part of a lumber mill.
• Drought in Texas, September 28 to 30, 201412 eventsSevere to Exceptional Drought conditions continued across the northwestern half of the region for most of September 2014. However, little rain through the month resulted in deteriorating conditions across a larger part of the region.
• Drought in Georgia, October 1 to 31, 20148 eventsA dry summer led to the development of D2 (severe) drought conditions across portions of southwest Georgia during August. This drought continued through October and into November for portions of the area.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 2014$73,000 · 25 eventsPrecipitation was near-normal overall across north Texas in October. Certain areas experienced below normal precipitation for the month, which aggravated the prolonged drought conditions.
• Drought in Oklahoma, October 1 to 31, 201442 eventsDrought persisted in the absence of meaningful rainfall.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 201416 eventsOctober saw below normal precipitation for much of the Texas Panhandle, though several episodes of rainfall did keep moisture in the Panhandle throughout the month.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 201416 eventsOctober was another dry month across South Central Texas. Most of the region had less than 50 percent of normal rainfall. The lack of rain had only minor impact on the drought with only Karnes and Lavaca Counties changing to worse category, both to Severe (Stage D2).
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 201410 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, extreme drought conditions were reported across Haskell, Shackelford and Jones counties. Impacts of extreme drought included major crop failures, pasture losses and widespread water shortages or restrictions.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 20149 eventsDrought levels between severe (D2) and exceptional (D4) remained across much of the Rolling Plains. All of the South Plains saw improvement to less than D2 drought conditions.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 20148 eventsDrought continued in the absence of rainfall.
• Drought in Kansas, October 1 to 31, 20147 eventsNo change in drought status was noted during October. Extreme northwest and west-central counties remained in Severe (D2) Drought. With just a few exceptions, precipitation at cooperative observer sites was below normal during the month.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 13, 2014$4,000 · 6 eventsDrought conditions persisted across much of of north Texas during October 2014 as the overall rainfall deficit continued across the region.
• Drought in Oklahoma, October 1 to 31, 20145 eventsMost of eastern Oklahoma received above normal rainfall during October 2014, with the exception of areas of Pawnee, Creek, Osage, and western Tulsa Counties where between 50 and 75 percent of normal rainfall occurred.
• Drought in Oklahoma, October 1 to 31, 20143 eventsOctober saw above normal precipitation for the western two thirds of the Oklahoma Panhandle, with more scattered rain falling over Beaver County. Most areas measured at least 1.0 to 1.5 inches during the month, and an isolated area or two saw over 3 inches.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 20142 eventsAdditional rainfall over the Victoria Crossroads was not enough to alleviate the drought conditions over this area during the month.
• Drought in New Mexico, October 1 to 31, 201420 eventsPockets of near to above normal rainfall were observed over southern, western and northeast New Mexico, but a majority of the state experienced below normal precipitation.
• Drought in New Mexico, October 1 to 31, 20143 eventsNear normal rainfall occurred again during October over the Gila Region with the western portions of Grant County the only areas where drought conditions continued through the month.
• Drought in Arizona, October 1 to 31, 20143 eventsExtreme drought (D3) conditions continued across far eastern Pinal and much of western Graham Counties during October.
• Drought in New Mexico, October 1 to 21, 20142 eventsNear normal rainfall occurred across southwestern New Mexico with Hidalgo County being taken out of the Severe(D2) drought and put into Moderate(D1) drought.
• Drought in California, October 1 to 31, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of October, 2014. Exceptional drought was detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor for almost the entire Central California region. This extent of exceptional drought is extremely unusual for California.
• Wildfire in Oregon, October 1 to 2, 20141 eventThe Onion Mountain Wildfire was caused by human activity and started around 1030 PDT on 09/13/2014. As of the last report on 10/02/14, the fire was 4105 acres in size and was 95 percent contained.
• Heat in California, October 4, 201475 injured · 1 eventThe month of October began with a strong ridge of high pressure over the southwestern United States, as well as offshore flow due to surface high pressure over the Great Basin. This resulted in an extended heat wave through the 5th.
• Wildfire in California, October 7 to 12, 20141 death · 1 eventThe Dog Rock fire started October 7, 2014. It was caused by sparks generated by hot metal fragments from a vehicle along highway 140 between El Portal and the entrance to Yosemite National Park.
• Heat in Arizona, October 22, 20141 death · 1 eventHigh pressure aloft located over the Pacific Ocean near 25N/135W brought a period of well above normal temperatures to southeastern Arizona. Tucson International Airport reached a high of 89 degrees F, or about six degrees above normal.
• Drought in Georgia, November 1 to 30, 20148 eventsA dry summer led to the development of D2 (severe) drought conditions across portions of southwest Georgia during August. By the end of November, drought conditions had improved.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 2014$44,000 · 24 eventsPrecipitation was below normal for most locations across north Texas during the month of November, leading to a continuation of the persistent drought conditions across the region.
• Drought in Oklahoma, November 1 to 30, 201441 eventsDrought persisted with minor improvements in the absence of meaningful rainfall.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 201416 eventsNovember brought less than normal precipitation to most of the Texas Panhandle, with only the far southeastern Panhandle counties receiving over 1 inch of precipitation. Most areas measured less than half an inch.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 25, 201410 eventsAfter receiving two to eight inches of rain during November Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Edwards, Karnes, Lavaca, Llano, Real, and Val Verde Counties improved to less than Severe Drought Category (Stage D2).
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 20148 eventsDrought persisted with minor improvements in the absence of meaningful rainfall.
• Drought in Kansas, November 1 to 30, 20147 eventsNo change in drought status was noted during November. Extreme northwest and west-central counties remained in Severe (D2) Drought.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 20147 eventsDrought levels improved through November over the Rolling Plains and extreme southeastern Texas Panhandle, however severe (D2) to exceptional (D4) drought categories remained.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 20146 eventsNovember was a wet month across South Central Texas with nearly all of the area receiving greater than normal rainfall.
• Drought in Oklahoma, November 1 to 30, 20144 eventsAll of eastern Oklahoma received below normal rainfall during November 2014, with the exception of areas of Pawnee and Okfuskee Counties, and much of northeastern Oklahoma received less than 50 percent of normal precipitation for the month.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 20143 eventsThe U.S. Drought Monitor reported drought improvement across the region located along and north of Interstate 20 from beneficial rainfall that fell during the month.
• Drought in Oklahoma, November 1 to 30, 20143 eventsNovember saw below normal precipitation for the Oklahoma Panhandle, most areas receiving less than one quarter of an inch.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 20143 eventsAdditional rainfall over the Victoria Crossroads was not enough to alleviate the drought conditions over this area during the month.
• Drought in New Mexico, November 1 to 30, 201420 eventsPrecipitation was below normal in the west, mostly near normal in central areas and generally above normal in the east especially the far southeast.
• Drought in Arizona, November 1 to 30, 20143 eventsExtreme drought (D3) conditions continued across far eastern Pinal and much of western Graham Counties during November.
• Drought in New Mexico, November 1 to 30, 20143 eventsSlightly below normal precipitation in the Gila Region kept this part of Grant County in Severe(D2) drought through the month of November.
• Drought in California, November 1 to 30, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of November, 2014. Exceptional drought was detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor for almost the entire Central California region. This extent of exceptional drought is extremely unusual for California.
• Wildfire in Georgia, November 15 to 21, 2014$33,000 · 4 eventsAlthough low-level moisture was beginning to increase, several days of dry and sunny weather prior to the 15th and 16th led to dry fuels and increased fire danger across North Georgia.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 2014$164,000 · 24 eventsDrought conditions continued to worsen across the western and central counties of North Texas. Extreme and Exceptional Drought conditions persisted in these counties where less than 2 inches of rain had fallen for the month of December.
• Drought in Oklahoma, December 1 to 31, 201428 eventsWith few rainfall events throughout the month, D2 (severe) to D4 (exceptional) drought persisted.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 201416 eventsThe year ended with a relatively dry month for the Texas Panhandle. Only a few light precipitation events occurred from mid to late December, and these events were not widespread. Most areas measured less than quarter of an inch.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 20149 eventsDecember was a dry month across South Central Texas with nearly all of the area receiving less than normal rainfall. Only four of the southeastern counties had above normal.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 20148 eventsWith few rainfall events, extreme to exceptional drought persisted through the month.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 20147 eventsDrought conditions remained nearly unchanged throughout the month of December. Severe (D2) to exceptional (D4) drought categories remained over the Rolling Plains and extreme southeastern Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Kansas, December 1 to 31, 20146 eventsAbove normal precipitation during the month helped improve the drought status for Northwest Kansas. Many COOP sites reported above normal precipitation for the month.
• Drought in Oklahoma, December 1 to 31, 20144 eventsMost of eastern Oklahoma received below normal rainfall during December 2014, and much of northeastern Oklahoma received less than 75 percent of normal precipitation for the month.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 20143 eventsThe U.S. Drought Monitor reported drought conditions across Haskell, Throckmorton, and the northern part of Shackelford Counties.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 20143 eventsBelow normal rainfall maintained drought conditions over the Victoria Crossroads |during the month.
• Drought in Oklahoma, December 1 to 31, 20143 eventsDecember's precipitation was near to above normal for most of the Oklahoma Panhandle, but most of the precipitation fell in a single event near the beginning of the month.
• Drought in New Mexico, December 1 to 31, 201419 eventsPrecipitation this month was varied with generally above normal values in the northwest and below normal across the east and south.
• Drought in Arizona, December 1 to 31, 20143 eventsExtreme drought (D3) conditions continued across far eastern Pinal and much of western Graham Counties during December.
• Drought in New Mexico, December 1 to 31, 20143 eventsSlightly below normal precipitation for the month of December brought no drought relief to the portions of the Gila Region previously in Severe(D2) drought.
• Drought in California, December 1 to 31, 2014$1.5 billion · 1 eventOn January 17th, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency for the entire state of California.
• Drought in California, December 1 to 31, 201411 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of December, 2014. Although there was heavy rain and snowfall across central California in early December, the later part of December was mainly dry. The U.S.
• Drought in Texas, December 9 to 31, 2014$20,000 · 4 eventsAccording to the US Drought Monitor, D2/Severe drought conditions developed in Grayson, Fannin, Lamar, and Delta counties by December 9th and continued through the end of the month.
• Drought in Texas, December 26 to 31, 20142 eventsAccording to the US Drought Monitor, D2/Severe drought conditions spread into Hamilton and Coryell counties by the end of the month.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 2015$43,000 · 28 eventsSevere or greater drought conditions continued to plague central and western portions of north Texas during January of 2015.
• Drought in Oklahoma, January 1 to 31, 201527 eventsWith persistent dry conditions, drought persisted across much of western and central Oklahoma.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 201517 eventsThe year started off on a fairly snowy note for the Texas Panhandle, with a particularly notable heavy snow event near the end of January that brought over 1 foot of snow to the Interstate 40 corridor.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 201510 eventsSince late December 2014, drought conditions expanded by a small margin across the southeast Texas Panhandle and portions of the Rolling Plains. Severe (D2) levels grew south to northern Stonewall County and also west to include portions of King and Swisher counties.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 20158 eventsJanuary was generally a wet month across South Central Texas with most areas getting normal or above rain. No county moved into a worse drought category.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 20158 eventsWith persistently warm and dry conditions, drought persisted through the month.
• Drought in Kansas, January 1 to 31, 20156 eventsSevere Drought conditions persisted across Northwest Kansas south of Sherman and Thomas counties. Precipitation reports ranged from 0.02 below normal to 0.41 below normal for the month.
• Drought in Oklahoma, January 1 to 31, 20154 eventsMost of northeastern Oklahoma received well below normal precipitation during January 2015. A large portion of the region only received between 25 and 50 percent of normal precipitation for the month.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 20154 eventsThe U.S. Drought Monitor reported drought conditions across Haskell and Throckmorton counties, the northern part of Shackelford County and the southeastern Kimble County.
• Drought in Oklahoma, January 1 to 31, 20153 eventsThe year started off on a fairly snowy note for the Oklahoma Panhandle, with decent snowfall events near the beginning and end of January. Most areas measured one half to 1 inch of liquid equivalent precipitation throughout the month.
• Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 20152 eventsEven though above average rainfall occurred over the northern portions of Goliad and Victoria Counties during the month of January, severe drought lingered over this portion of South Texas.
• Drought in New Mexico, January 1 to 31, 201519 eventsNew Mexico benefited from several impactful winter storms during January 2015. Precipitation was mostly above normal except for the northwest and far west.
• Drought in New Mexico, January 1 to 31, 20153 eventsPrecipitation totals over the Gila Region for January were well above normal, but occurred late in the month. No change was noted in the drought categories during the month, but did occur with early February with the next drought update.
• Drought in Arizona, January 1 to 31, 20153 eventsExtreme drought (D3) conditions continued across far northeast Pinal and a portion of west central Graham Counties during January. Extreme southeast Pinal and southwest Graham Counties were reduced to the severe drought (D2) category early in the month.
• Drought in California, January 1 to 31, 201511 eventsThe California drought continued in full force during the month of January, 2015. Precipitation fell on only a few days of the month, and mostly across Kern County.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2014Tornadoes in 2014

NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.