Western/Plains Drought/Heat Wave

Losses, 2024 dollars

$14 billion

Losses at the time

$10 billion

Deaths

53

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, March 1 to 31, 2013$125 million · 13 eventsThe month of March did not see nearly as much improvement as seen during February, but scattered precipitation events allowed for a slight improvement for the Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Oklahoma, March 1 to 31, 2013$65 million · 3 eventsThe slight relief brought by a late February blizzard got very little help during the month of March.
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 2013$5.0 million · 20 eventsDrought conditions during the month of March were largely unchanged although a slight worsening did occur in the U.S Drought Monitor. Swisher County joined Hall, Briscoe, Cottle, and Motley Counties with drought levels below D2 (Severe).
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 2013$77,000 · 31 eventsMost counties of North Texas began the month in severe (D2) or extreme (D3) drought. Little rain fell throughout the month and there was no improvement in drought conditions.
• Drought in Oklahoma, March 1 to 31, 201348 eventsPrecipitation totals for March were below normal across most of central and western Oklahoma, resulting in a continuation of the long-term drought.
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 201331 eventsMarch was another dry month across South Central Texas. Most of the region received less than normal rainfall with most of the southern and western areas getting less than 25 percent of normal.
• Drought in Nebraska, March 1 to 31, 201330 eventsDrought conditions improved little across eastern Nebraska during March. Precipitation during the month was generally around one half inch to one inch, although a swath of totals around 2 inches prevailed near the I80 corridor from Lincoln through Omaha.
• Drought in Nebraska, March 1 to 31, 201328 eventsThe drought that began in June 2012 lingered with Exceptional Drought (D4) conditions continuing into March.
• Drought in Kansas, March 1 to 31, 201326 eventsA prolonged period of dry weather, lingered drought conditions across most of Kansas during the month of March. An unusually dry period from May through December, 2012, kept an extreme drought (D3) going for most of Central and Southern Kansas.
• Drought in Oklahoma, March 1 to 31, 201325 eventsWidespread and much needed rainfall fell across portions of eastern Oklahoma during March 2013. The exception was much of northeastern Oklahoma, where most locations received below half of the normal average precipitation for the month.
• Drought in Nebraska, March 1 to 31, 201324 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, March marked the ninth consecutive month of severe (or worse) drought across South Central Nebraska. This continued one of the worst droughts since the 1950s, as the majority of the 24-county area measured below normal March precipitation.
• Drought in South Dakota, March 1 to 31, 201324 eventsDrought conditions continued over all of southeast South Dakota in March. Precipitation was roughly half of normal over most of the area, with drought rated severe to exceptional over all of the area, including the extreme southeast, where precipitation was only slightly below…
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 201322 eventsAs the drought intensified across the Big Country, the U.S. Drought Monitor upgraded the classification as exceptional to a large region north of Interstate 20. This region has experienced the brunt of the drought since February 2011.
• Drought in South Dakota, March 1 to 31, 201318 eventsThe severe to exceptional drought conditions continued across most of central and into a small part of northeast South Dakota throughout March. The counties in exceptional drought were Stanley, Jones, and Lyman.
• Drought in Kansas, March 1 to 31, 201313 eventsDrought conditions continued from February across northwest Kansas. All of northwest Kansas has been rated as being in either Extreme (D3) or Exceptional (D4) Drought at the end of March. Moisture was highly variable during the month.
• Drought in Iowa, March 1 to 31, 201311 eventsDrought conditions continued over all of northwest Iowa in March. Though precipitation was near normal, due mainly to one snowstorm, drought was still rated severe to exceptional over all of the area.
• Drought in Minnesota, March 1 to 31, 201311 eventsSevere Drought (D2) continued over most of the region, with the exception of the Arrowhead counties of Cook and Lake, areas bordering the Canadian border and portions of Northern Itasca and Northern Cass counties.
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 201311 eventsThe month of March was an extremely dry month for South Texas. Significant rainfall was limited to the last day of the month when isolated severe hail storms moved across the Brush Country.
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 201310 eventsMarch started dry and ended drier. Other than spotty streamer showers and sprinkles across the Lower Rio Grande Valley and a sole decaying supercell that dropped a little more than a third of an inch of rain and golf ball sized hail in Falfurrias just before midnight on the…
• Drought in Minnesota, March 1 to 31, 20138 eventsDrought conditions continued over all of southwest Minnesota in March. Precipitation was normal to half of normal, with drought rated severe to extreme over all of the area.
• Drought in Missouri, March 1 to 31, 20138 eventsDrought conditions continue to improve across the region, with only parts of northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas, as well as east central Kansas and west central Missouri, remaining in Severe Drought (D2).
• Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 20138 eventsPrecipitation totals for March were below normal across western north Texas, resulting in a slight worsening of the long-term drought.
• Drought in Arkansas, March 1 to 12, 20137 eventsWidespread and much needed rainfall fell across much of northwestern and west central Arkansas during March 2013. This rainfall, combined with appreciable amounts from previous months, helped to alleviate the long-term drought across the region.
• Drought in Iowa, March 1 to 31, 20136 eventsThe drought intensity over west central Iowa in the Extreme category shrunk a little during March and by the end of the month it was generally near the Missouri River north of Council Bluffs. A Moderate or Severe Drought continued across of the area southeast of there.
• Drought in Arkansas, March 1 to 31, 20136 eventsRainfall during March helped to improve drought conditions over most of western Arkansas.
• Drought in Minnesota, March 1 to 31, 20136 eventsThe extreme drought conditions ended across southeast Minnesota over the first half of March along with the severe drought in Fillmore County. Despite these improvements, all or parts of Dodge, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona Counties were still in a severe drought.
• Drought in Kansas, March 1 to 31, 20136 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, March marked the tenth consecutive month of severe (or worse) drought across this six-county portion of North Central Kansas.
• Drought in Wisconsin, March 1 to 31, 20136 eventsSevere Drought (D2) conditions continued from far western Douglas County, all of Burnett county, the southern half of Washburn County, extreme southern Sawyer County and most of Price County.
• Drought in Missouri, March 1 to 31, 20135 eventsMarch was near or slightly above normal on precipitation resulting in the improvement of drought conditions but long term drought conditions continued for portions of the Missouri Ozarks.
• Drought in New Mexico, March 1 to 31, 201339 eventsDrought conditions for March mimicked that of February. Sadly there was no improvement in conditions across the northern two-thirds of New Mexico but overall drought severity did not worsen. Precipitation was well-below normal areawide.
• Drought in Colorado, March 1 to 31, 201321 eventsDrought conditions remained unchanged across most of western Colorado in March as the string of below normal precipitation months continued to impact the region.
• Drought in New Mexico, March 1 to 31, 201317 eventsAnother very dry month kept the region under Severe(D2) to Extreme(D3) drought conditions through the month of March.
• Drought in Utah, March 1 to 31, 20137 eventsDrought conditions remained unchanged across most of eastern Utah in March as below normal precipitation continued to impact the region. The eastern Uinta Basin received close to normal precipitation at 0.68 inches, but most of this fell with one storm early in the month.
• Wildfire in California, March 1 to 3, 2013$15,000 · 1 eventA wildfire (cause still under investigation) started at 1643 PST, February 28 in the Santa Ana River bottom, burning heavy fuels near the intersection of Rio Road and Calle Hermosa in Jurupa Valley.
• Drought in Hawaii, March 1 to 31, 201310 eventsImprovement in soil moisture occurred in March for much of the Aloha State because of needed rainfall. However, some areas on Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii remained in the D2 condition of severe drought, or worse.
• Wildfire in Texas, March 1, 20132 injured · 1 eventA wildfire burned 67 acres on the north side of Aransas Pass between 7th Street and Avenue A. The wildfire started in the middle of the afternoon and spread to the northwest as gusty southeast winds pushed the blaze.
• Wildfire in Texas, March 3 to 10, 2013$20,000 · 2 eventsA wildfire initially began on March 3rd at the Iron Bridge Park in Bell County from a campfire which burned out of control. The fire was contained late on March 4th, but with gusty winds on the 5th it went out of control once again.
• Wildfire in South Carolina, March 13, 2013$12 million · 1 eventA small brush fire spread into the Windsor Green complex in Carolina Forest, damaging numerous homes with injuries.
• Drought in Texas, March 19 to 31, 2013$4,000 · 4 eventsWith little rainfall during the month of March, Ellis, Kaufman, Rains, and Tarrant County were downgraded into severe drought in the March 19th issuance of the US Drought Monitor.
• Wildfire and Dust Storm in Texas, March 23, 2013$104,000 · 67 kt wind · 33 eventsLate this afternoon, a compact upper low exited northern New Mexico and tracked over the northern Texas Panhandle. South of this low, an already tight pressure gradient intensified even further ahead of an unseasonably strong Polar cold front.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 2013$207 million · 20 eventsThe temporary relief brought by a late February blizzard continued to diminish due to the limited precipitation during the month of April. Over the course of the month, drought conditions degraded a full category for much of the Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Oklahoma, April 1 to 30, 2013$60 million · 3 eventsThe temporary relief brought by a late February blizzard continued to diminish due to limited precipitation during the month of April. Exceptional (D4) drought affects all of Cimarron and Texas County, and Beaver County remains in extreme (D3) drought.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 2013$5.0 million · 24 eventsDrought conditions worsened during the month of April due to the lack of significant precipitation. Areas which were below Severe (D2) conditions which included Briscoe, Cottle, Hall, Motley, and Swisher Counties returned to D2 or worse drought conditions.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 2013$108,000 · 35 eventsDrought conditions continued to plague north Texas during the month of April, especially over the western half of the region.
• Drought in Oklahoma, April 1 to 30, 201348 eventsDrought conditions persisted across much of Oklahoma during the month of April, however, several rainfall events allowed for modest improvement across portions of central and even southwest Oklahoma. Extreme to exceptional drought persisted over much of western Oklahoma.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 201332 eventsApril brought some much needed rain to South Central Texas. Most of the eastern half of the area received 150% or more of normal rainfall and only Kinney, Maverick, and Zavala Counties got less than 25% of normal. This rain had a mixed impact on the drought.
• Drought in Nebraska, April 1 to 30, 201330 eventsDrought conditions improved or ended over much of eastern Nebraska during April as precipitation of 3.5 to around 5 inches fell over most of the area.
• Drought in Nebraska, April 1 to 30, 201328 eventsPrecipitation did arrive in April in the form of a mixture of rain, snow and thunderstorms. The north central received the higher totals, where up to 5 inches was recorded during the month.
• Drought in Kansas, April 1 to 30, 201326 eventsA prolonged period of dry weather, lingered drought conditions across most of Kansas during the month of April. An unusually dry period from May 2012 through January, 2013, kept an extreme drought (D3) going for most of Central and Southern Kansas.
• Drought in South Dakota, April 1 to 30, 201324 eventsExtreme to exceptional drought abated slowly to the moderate to severe category over most of southeast South Dakota during April.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 201324 eventsAs the drought intensified across the Big Country, the U.S. Drought Monitor upgraded the classification as exceptional to a large region north of Interstate 20. This region has experienced the brunt of the drought since February 2011.
• Drought in Nebraska, April 1 to 30, 201324 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, April marked the tenth consecutive month of severe (or worse) drought across South Central Nebraska. This continued one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s, although much of the area saw some encouraging trends during the month.
• Drought in South Dakota, April 1 to 30, 201318 eventsWith the much above normal precipitation in the form of mainly snowfall across the region through the month of April, drought conditions continued to improve across all of central and northeast South Dakota.
• Drought in Oklahoma, April 1 to 30, 201317 eventsSeveral rainfall events during April 2013, combined with rainfall from previous months, helped to alleviate short-term drought conditions across much of eastern Oklahoma.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 201314 eventsTemperatures were near or slightly below normal for the month of April. A couple of cold fronts were strong enough for minimum temperatures to fall into the 30s and provide spotty areas of frost.
• Drought in Kansas, April 1 to 30, 201313 eventsDrought conditions continued from March. Northwest counties in Kansas showed no improvement to ongoing drought conditions during the month of April, with the area remaining in Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) Drought.
• Drought in Minnesota, April 1 to 16, 201312 eventsSevere Drought (D2) continued over most of the region, with the exception of the Arrowhead counties of Cook and Lake, areas bordering the Canadian border and portions of Northern Itasca and Northern Cass counties.
• Drought in Iowa, April 1 to 30, 201311 eventsExtreme to exceptional drought abated slowly to the moderate to severe category over most of northwest Iowa during April.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 201310 eventsPersistent long term dry conditions and above normal temperatures allowed for drought conditions to worsen across Deep South Texas and the RGV.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 20138 eventsWith only a few rainfall events over western north Texas, drought conditions showed little improvement throughout the month of April.
• Drought in Minnesota, April 1 to 30, 20138 eventsExtreme to exceptional drought abated slowly to the moderate to severe category over southwest Minnesota during April.
• Drought in Wisconsin, April 1 to 16, 20136 eventsSevere Drought (D2) conditions continued from far Western Douglas County, all of Burnett county, the southern half of Washburn County, extreme southern Sawyer County and most of Price County.
• Drought in Minnesota, April 1 to 16, 20136 eventsThe severe drought that developed across southeast Minnesota in the summer of 2012 finally ended during the first part of April. Rainfall amounts of 4 to 5 inches fell over the first half of the month with most of this being absorbed by the soil.
• Drought in Iowa, April 1 to 23, 20136 eventsDrought conditions improved markedly or ended across much of western Iowa during April as precipitation amounts of between 4 and 6 inches fell over the area as temperatures remained cooler than normal. The precipitation amounts were around 1.5 to 2.5 inches above normal.
• Drought in Kansas, April 1 to 30, 20136 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, April marked the 11th consecutive month of severe (or worse) drought within this six-county portion of North Central Kansas.
• Drought in New Mexico, April 1 to 30, 201340 eventsDrought severity drastically increased across portions of central and western New Mexico throughout the month of April. Only a few storms brought precipitation to the state during the month, and those storms were focused on northern areas of the state.
• Drought in Colorado, April 1 to 30, 201321 eventsA series of moist early spring storms made their way across portions of western Colorado during the month of April. This moisture rich snow made a noticeable impact on the mountain snow pack with many locations rebounding from seasonal deficits.
• Drought in New Mexico, April 1 to 30, 201317 eventsMost of Southern New Mexico started out the month in Moderate(D1) to Severe(D2) drought, but by the end of another dry month, most locations were in Extreme(D3) to Exceptional(D4) drought.
• Drought in Utah, April 1 to 30, 20137 eventsThe April storm track did not significantly impact most of eastern Utah, with precipitation in most locations near to slightly below normal for the month.
• Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 20134 eventsAnother dry month did little to change conditions across Eastern Hudspeth County with Severe(D2) drought continuing through April.
• Drought in Hawaii, April 1 to 30, 20138 eventsAlthough there were periods of rain over some dry areas, the precipitation was too little to affect the overall drought condition in those locales. D2 conditions, or worse, persisted in parts of Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii.
• Drought in Arizona, April 23 to 30, 20136 eventsSevere drought conditions deteriorated into extreme drought conditions over portions of southeast Arizona toward the end of April.
• Drought in Texas, April 30, 20135 eventsDrought conditions begin to improve across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas by the end of the month. An upper level disturbance and a weak low pressure system over the northern Sierra Madre mountains produced strong thunderstorms on the 27th.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 2013$410 million · 20 eventsDrought conditions worsened during the month of May despite a few precipitation events during the latter half of the month.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 2013$50 million · 24 eventsDrought conditions largely worsened through the month of May with most rainfall eluding the region. Extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4) drought levels expanded across the entire area. Only portions of Hall and Yoakum counties remained in severe (D2) drought.
• Drought in Oklahoma, May 1 to 31, 2013$75 million · 3 eventsDrought conditions across the Oklahoma Panhandle worsened due to limited precipitation during the month of May. The entire Oklahoma Panhandle now falls with Exceptional (D4) drought.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 2013$121,000 · 33 eventsSevere weather dominated headlines for the month of May, but drought conditions continued to be a important weather topic across North Texas.
• Drought in Oklahoma, May 1 to 31, 201335 eventsSome rainfall events occurred during May, but with a heavy bias toward central Oklahoma near the I-35 corridor, where drought conditions continued to improve.
• Drought in Nebraska, May 1 to 31, 201327 eventsThe drought that began in June of 2012 lingered in May, although thunderstorms produced some significant rainfall to further ease the ongoing drought. All areas received a minimum of two inches of rainfall and some over eight inches.
• Drought in Kansas, May 1 to 31, 201324 eventsA year long period of prolonged dry weather, lingered drought conditions across most of Kansas during the month of May 2013. An unusually dry period from May 2012 through March, 2013, kept an extreme drought (D3) going for portions of Central and South Central Kansas.
• Drought in Nebraska, May 1 to 31, 201324 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, May marked the eleventh consecutive month of moderate (or worse) drought across South Central Nebraska, continuing one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 201324 eventsThe drought continues to impact much of West Central Texas. The U.S. Drought Monitor rated Haskell, Throckmorton, Fisher, Jones and and Shackelford Counties in the exceptional category, while the Drought Monitor placed Coke, Nolan and Schleicher Counties in the extreme drought…
• Drought in Nebraska, May 1 to 28, 201323 eventsDrought conditions continued improving across eastern Nebraska in May eventually ending or upgrading into the Moderate or Abnormally Dry.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 201318 eventsMay brought some much needed rain to South Central Texas. Much of the area received above normal rainfall and 14 counties moved to better than severe (Stage D2) drought. In addition, Bandera, Kerr, Medina, Real, Uvalde, and Williamson Counties improved a category to stage D2.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 201315 eventsTemperatures were near or slightly below normal again for the month of May. Several beneficial rain events occurred across portions of South Texas during the month of May.
• Drought in Kansas, May 1 to 31, 201313 eventsDrought conditions across the area continued from April with little change. Far western counties along the Colorado border remained in D3 (Extreme) Drought while the remainder of the area continued in D4 (Exceptional) Drought.
• Drought in South Dakota, May 1 to 31, 201312 eventsAfter a rather quiet start to May, the weather pattern turned unsettled and wet during the middle of the month. A large upper level low pressure system spinning over the region for a few days brought much needed moderate to heavy rainfall from the 17th through the 22nd.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 201310 eventsLittle to no rain fell across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas during the first ten days of May. Widespread rains from late on the 10th through early on the 12th, with scattered rains through the 13th, would improve conditions by the May 14th Drought Monitor update.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 20138 eventsWith only a few rainfall events across western north Texas during May, extreme to exceptional drought continued over the region.
• Drought in Oklahoma, May 1 to 31, 20138 eventsWidespread and heavy rainfall fell across much of eastern Oklahoma during May 2013. The region generally received between four and ten inches of rain during the month with some areas receiving in excess of fifteen inches.
• Drought in South Dakota, May 1 to 16, 20137 eventsLong term dry soil conditions and low flows on the Missouri River contributed to lingering drought at the start of May.
• Drought in Kansas, May 1 to 31, 20136 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, May marked the twelfth consecutive month of moderate (or worse) drought across nearly this entire six-county portion of North Central Kansas, continuing one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s.
• Drought in New Mexico, May 1 to 31, 201340 eventsDrought severity continued to increase across portions of eastern New Mexico throughout the month. Overall, May fared better than previous months with numerous days of at least some measurable precipitation.
• Drought in Colorado, May 1 to 31, 201321 eventsMinimal changes to drought conditions were experienced across western Colorado in May as a regular series of passing storms kept some precipitation falling across the region.
• Drought in New Mexico, May 1 to 31, 201317 eventsAnother very dry month kept almost all of Southwest and South Central New Mexico in Extreme(D3) to Exceptional(D4) drought. All locations in region reported well below normal precipitation.
• Drought in Utah, May 1 to 31, 20137 eventsThere were some small changes in drought conditions in May, though most areas remained unchanged. A regular series of passing storms kept some precipitation falling across the region.
• Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 20136 eventsAnother dry month kept most of Far West Texas in Severe(D2) drought.
• Drought in Arizona, May 1 to 31, 20136 eventsLittle if any rainfall occurred during May. Thus, extreme drought conditions continued across far southeastern Arizona.
• Wildfire and High Wind in California, May 1, 2013$580,000 · 62 kt wind · 6 eventsLate on April 30 and into May 1, hot weather, followed by increasingly strong northeast winds which gusted up to 60 MPH in the North Bay Hills, lead to critical fire weather conditions.
• Drought in Hawaii, May 1 to 31, 20138 eventsRainfall in May helped the overall drought situation in the Aloha State. However, a few areas remain in the D2 category of severe drought, or worse. Officials lessened water restrictions in some areas as conditions improved, but kept them in place in others.
• Wildfire in California, May 1 to 4, 2013$400,000 · 1 eventThe Summit fire started near N. San Gorgonio Avenue and Summit Drive in Banning (Riverside County) around 1138 PST on the 1st. The brush fire burned rapidly toward the northwest, driven by Santa Ana winds of 30-40 mph, destroying one residence and one out building.
• Wildfire and High Wind in California, May 2 to 11, 201364 kt wind · 6 eventsStrong northeast Santa Ana winds developed across the mountains and inland valleys of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Wind gusts as high as 74 MPH were reported.
• Wildfire in California, May 2, 2013$550,000 · 1 eventThe Van Buren wildfire started around 0724 PST on the 2nd in the median of Van Buren Boulevard at Jurupa Road in Jurupa Valley (Riverside County). Jurupa Rd was closed from Van Buren to Rutile and Van Buren closed from Jurupa to Rutile. Evacuations were ordered for a few hours.
• Wildfire in Texas, May 13 to 14, 2013$17,000 · 2 eventsAfter some recent rainfall, conditions became extremely dry on the afternoon of Monday, May 13th. Low relative humidity and 10 to 20 mph winds allowed fires which started as controlled burns to quickly become uncontrolled.
• Drought in Texas, May 14 to 31, 20137 eventsThe combination of abundant low level moisture and a series of upper level disturbances moving across northern Mexico and Deep South Texas allowed for beneficial rains across the region. Areas of showers and thunderstorms affected the area from late on the 10th through the 15th.
• Drought in Texas, May 14 to 27, 2013$10,000 · 5 eventsDrought conditions continued to plaque much of North Texas during the month of May. The hardest hit areas were the western-most counties where the least amounts or rain occurred.
• Excessive Heat in Texas, May 17, 20131 death · 1 eventSevere weather dominated the headlines in May, but here were a few days with high temperatures. One child died after being left in a car in Dallas.
• Drought in Texas, May 28 to 31, 20134 eventsA few more rainfall events during the latter half of May allowed drought conditions continued to improve across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas through the end of the month.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 2013$317 million · 20 eventsMultiple widespread precipitation events during the month of June provided some short term relief across the Texas Panhandle. Drought conditions for the majority of the Texas Panhandle showed a one category improvement according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 2013$100 million · 24 eventsDrought conditions improved one category from extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4) levels over parts of the western South Plains, northern Rolling Plains, and the far southeast Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Oklahoma, June 1 to 30, 2013$60 million · 3 eventsMultiple widespread precipitation events during the month of June provided some short term relief across the Oklahoma Panhandle. The U.S. Drought Monitor showed slight improvement across half of the Oklahoma Panhandle for the month.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 2013$88,000 · 25 eventsDrought conditions continued across a good portion of north Texas during June of 2013, particularly over the western-most counties where the least amount of rain occurred.
• Drought in Oklahoma, June 1 to 30, 201329 eventsRainfall for the month of June was generally around average for central and south central Oklahoma, but remained below average across western and northern Oklahoma, where the worst drought conditions were already in place.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 201328 eventsJune was feast or famine for rainfall across South Central Texas. Most of the region had less than 50 percent of normal.
• Drought in Nebraska, June 1 to 30, 201327 eventsThe drought that began in June of 2012 lingered into June 2013, although thunderstorms produced some rainfall to further ease the ongoing drought.
• Drought in Nebraska, June 1 to 30, 201324 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, June marked one year since moderate (or worse) drought took its grip on much of South Central Nebraska, continuing one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 201323 eventsThe drought continues to impact most of West Central Texas. The U.S. Drought Monitor rated Haskell, Throckmorton, Fisher, Jones and Shackelford Counties in the exceptional category as water shortages continue. The remainder of the region was in a severe drought category.
• Drought in Kansas, June 1 to 30, 201317 eventsA year long period of prolonged dry weather, lingered the drought conditions across most of Kansas during the month of June 2013. An unusually dry period from May 2012 through March, 2013, kept an extreme drought (D3) going for portions of Central Kansas.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 201314 eventsDrought strengthened over most of South Texas during the month of June as above normal temperatures returned.
• Drought in Kansas, June 1 to 30, 201313 eventsDrought conditions worsened slightly in June across the region. Cheyenne and Sherman counties were listed as being in D3 (Extreme) Drought, with all remaining counties in D4 (Exceptional) Drought.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 201310 eventsThe combination of abundant tropical moisture, a series of upper level disturbances and seabreeze boundary provided for scattered showers and thunderstorms over Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley during the first two weeks of the month.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 20138 eventsRainfall was once again below normal for the month of June in western north Texas. As a result, extreme to exceptional drought continued over most of the region, with severe drought present in Clay County.
• Drought in Kansas, June 1 to 30, 20136 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, June marked 13 months since moderate (or worse) drought initially took hold within this six county portion of North Central Kansas, continuing one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 17, 2013$6,000 · 4 eventsA few of the northern counties beginning the month of June in severe drought received some beneficial rains during the first week or so, and were subsequently upgraded to moderate drought around the middle of the month.
• Wildfire in New Mexico, June 1 to 30, 2013$1.0 million · 2 eventsThe Tres Lagunas Fire burned 10,219 acres within and near prized recreation and resource areas. The fire was human-caused when electrical lines went down on May 30, igniting Ponderosa pine and other timbers.
• Drought in New Mexico, June 1 to 30, 201340 eventsDrought severity continued to increase across portions of northern and western New Mexico while decreasing ever so slightly in the east.
• Drought in Colorado, June 1 to 30, 201320 eventsJune 2013 proved to be a very dry and warm month across western Colorado. These conditions had some impact on agricultural interests, though the spring snow pack run off temporarily aided hydrologic interests.
• Drought in New Mexico, June 1 to 30, 201317 eventsAnother month of well below average precipitation kept all of Southwest and South-Central New Mexico in Extreme(D3) to Exceptional(D4) drought. Most locations saw less than a half inch of rain during the month.
• Drought in Utah, June 1 to 30, 20137 eventsJune 2013 proved to be a very dry and warm month across eastern Utah. These conditions had some impact on agricultural interests, though the spring snow pack run off temporarily aided hydrologic interests.
• Drought in Arizona, June 1 to 30, 20136 eventsThe area of extreme drought (D3) conditions persisted across southeast Arizona during June. Modest rain fell on the western perimeter of this area in mid June.
• Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 20135 eventsSome much needed rain brought some drought relief to portions of Far West Texas.
• Drought in Hawaii, June 1 to 30, 20137 eventsDrought conditions of the D2 category - severe - or worse persisted over parts of Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii through June.
• Excessive Heat in Arizona, June 2, 20131 death · 2 eventsUnseasonably strong high pressure developed across the desert southwest at the start of June, which caused high temperatures to approach 110 degrees on Sunday, the second of June.
• Excessive Heat in Arizona, June 6 to 9, 20131 death · 5 injured · 1 eventTemperatures reached Excessive Heat Warning criteria for four consecutive days. Two people died from the heat and eight others were injured.
• Excessive Heat in Nevada, June 6 to 9, 20131 death · 3 injured · 1 eventTemperatures reached Excessive Heat Warning criteria for four consecutive days. Two people died from the heat and eight others were injured.
• Heat in California, June 7 to 9, 201315 injured · 4 eventsStrong high pressure built across the region, which resulted in very hot temperatures on Friday and Saturday (June 7-8) with warm overnight temperatures. Max temperatures in the valley ranged from approximately 100-112 degrees.
• Excessive Heat in Arizona, June 7 to 9, 201311 eventsA strong ridge of high pressure developed over California and Arizona for several days. This brought very hot conditions to northern Arizona with many locations breaking daily high temperature records.
• Wildfire in California, June 9 to 20, 201310 injured · 1 eventThe Hathaway Fire, cause unknown, started at 1057 PST, June 9, east of Hathaway Canyon on the northern portion of the Morongo Indian Reservation. It burned in very steep, rugged terrain in the San Gorgonio Wilderness.
• Heat in New Mexico, June 10, 20131 injured · 1 eventA seven month old boy was in critical condition after being left inside a hot car for more than two hours during the afternoon of Monday, June 10th. Temperatures around the city at the time of the incident were in the upper 90s to low 100s.
• Wildfire in Colorado, June 11 to 20, 2013$293 million · 1 eventThe wildfire was sparked on the west side of Black Forest and rapidly spread eastward the first day. A couple lost their lives in the blaze the first day. During the next few days the wildfire spread north. At its height, over 35,000 people were evacuated from the area.
• Wildfire in Oregon, June 11, 2013$800,000 · 1 eventA grass fire believed to have started from a cigarette butt claimed 4 houses on Tuesday, June 11.
• Excessive Heat in Arizona, June 12, 20131 death · 2 eventsUnseasonably strong high pressure aloft developed across the desert southwest on Wednesday, June 6th, and it led to very hot temperatures across the central Arizona deserts including the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.
• Heat in Alabama, June 13, 20134 eventsIn a very warm and moist airmass ahead of an approaching front, heat index values rose above 100 degrees during the afternoon of June 13. The heat index at several locations across Central Alabama hit 105 degrees, heat advisory criteria.
• Heat in Arizona, June 16 to 18, 20134 deaths · 1 eventStrong high pressure under westerly upper flow continued across the desert southwest. This caused high temperatures to be a few degrees above normal or in the 105-109 range June 16-18th.
• Heat in Idaho, June 18, 20131 death · 1 eventA 21 month old girl was left in an automobile on June 18th and led to an accidental death due to heat related causes.
• Wildfire in Colorado, June 19 to 30, 20131 injured · 3 eventsThe lightning caused wildfire burned 13,572 acres near the base of the Spanish Peaks. Over 600 firefighters contained the blaze, and one was slightly injured. Twenty-eight structures were destroyed, including 12 houses, 3 cabins, 12 outbuildings and an infirmary.
• Wildfire in Nevada, June 20, 2013$200,000 · 1 eventGusty winds and dry conditions helped spread a small brush fire to a home, destroying the home.
• Excessive Heat in Oklahoma, June 26 to 27, 201318 injured · 23 eventsUnseasonably hot temperatures combined with very high humidity resulted in excessive heat across much of eastern Oklahoma. Temperatures climbed into the mid 90s to near 100 and heat index values ranged from 105 to 110 degrees.
• Heat in Missouri, June 26 to 27, 20131 death · 5 eventsAn upper level ridge of high pressure, allowed hot and humid conditions to prevail across west central Missouri, on June 26th and 27th, 2013. Afternoon heat indices were in the 100 to 106 degrees range.
• Heat in Kansas, June 26 to 27, 20135 eventsAn upper level ridge of high pressure, allowed hot and humid conditions to prevail across extreme eastern kansas, on June 26th and 27th, 2013. Afternoon heat indices were in the 100 to 106 degrees range.
• Heat in Idaho, June 27 to 30, 20135 eventsFrom June 27th through June 30th 10 record high temperatures were set at Idaho Falls, Challis, Pocatello, Burley and Stanley.
• Excessive Heat in Arizona, June 27 to 29, 201317 eventsA very strong high pressure center developed over northern Arizona during the last several days of June. Many new record daily highs were set or tied during this time.
• Heat in California, June 28 to 30, 20135 eventsA strong high pressure ridge built over Northern California, keeping max temperatures in the Central Valley above 100 for at least 7 days. Overnight temperatures failed to recover, reaching generally down to mid 60s to 90.
• Excessive Heat in Arizona, June 28 to 30, 20138 eventsA very strong upper level high pressure system developed across the desert southwest during the last few days of June 2013. This led to a protracted period of Excessive Heat over the lower Arizona deserts, which began on June 28, and continued into the first week of July.
• Excessive Heat in Arizona, June 28 to 30, 20133 injured · $25,000 · 2 eventsA large area of high pressure brought record-breaking temperatures to much of the Desert Southwest. Several people died from the heat, many more were injured, and some infrastructure was damaged.
• Excessive Heat in Nevada, June 28 to 30, 20133 deaths · 358 injured · $25,000 · 2 eventsA large area of high pressure brought record-breaking temperatures to much of the Desert Southwest. Several people died from the heat, many more were injured, and some infrastructure was damaged.
• Excessive Heat in California, June 28 to 30, 20132 injured · 1 eventA large area of high pressure brought record-breaking temperatures to much of the Desert Southwest. Several people died from the heat, many more were injured, and some infrastructure was damaged.
• Excessive Heat in California, June 28 to 30, 20135 eventsA record-setting ridge of high pressure (600 dm over northern New Mexico) built in over the Great Basin and desert Southwest, beginning around June 28th, lasting through approximately July 7, when it hit another peak in temperatures.
• Wildfire in California, June 28 to 30, 2013$50,000 · 1 eventA wildfire of unknown cause started at 1330 PST, June 20, south of Highway 38 & Bryant Street, west of Yucaipa in San Bernardino County. The fire started above the Mill Creek Wash near Mentone and burned through grass and small brush in the draws and canyons near Highway 38.
• Wildfire in Arizona, June 28 to 30, 201319 deaths · 1 eventThe Yarnell Hill Fire started around 536 PM by lightning on Friday June 28th, 2013 about 3.5 miles west of Yarnell, Arizona. The average daily temperature was above average for this area from June 26-July 10...and more than 10 degrees above average for June 28-July 1.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 2013$128 million · 20 eventsThe month of July brought multiple chances for precipitation, but the scattered nature of storms kept drought relief limited.
• Drought in Oklahoma, July 1 to 31, 2013$36 million · 3 eventsThe month of July brought multiple chances for precipitation, but the scattered nature of storms kept drought relief limited. Guymon recorded 1.07 inches of precipitation (1.59 inch below normal) for the month of July.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 2013$10 million · 24 eventsDrought conditions across the region slightly lessened through the month of July with an unusual weather pattern emerging toward the end of the month. Almost all areas remained within severe (D3) to exceptional (D4) drought.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 2013$79,000 · 32 eventsMost of north Texas began the month in severe (D2) or extreme (D3) drought classifications. There were slight improvements throughout the counties as 2 to 7 inches of rain was recorded during the month.
• Drought in Oklahoma, July 1 to 31, 201328 eventsPrecipitation for the month of July was generally near to above average throughout Oklahoma, with the area of drought further retracting in northern, western and southern Oklahoma.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 201327 eventsThe drought was largely unchanged in South Central Texas in July. With the exception of the northeast and a couple of small areas in the west, most of the region received near or below normal rainfall.
• Drought in Nebraska, July 1 to 31, 201326 eventsThe drought that began in June 2012 lingered through July 2013. Exceptional (D4) drought conditions began the month over the central sandhills then lessened as convective rains moved across the area.
• Drought in Nebraska, July 1 to 31, 201324 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, July 2013 marked the 14th consecutive month of D1 Moderate (or worse) drought within South Central Nebraska, continuing one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s.
• Drought and Cold in Texas, July 1 to 31, 201314 eventsDrought conditions redeveloped across portions of Northeast Texas during the month of July. Rainfall for the month across the drought stricken counties averaged between one and two inches with isolated higher amounts.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 201314 eventsWidespread rainfall over portions of South Texas during the month of July helped to alleviate the drought over the region to an extent. The exceptional drought over the Coastal Bend was reduced to extreme drought by the end of the month.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 201314 eventsThe long lasting West Central Texas Drought is approaching its third year. A heavy rainfall event that fell across the Big Country in July resulted in a downgrade to extreme drought from exceptional drought across the northern Big Country counties by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
• Drought in Kansas, July 1 to 31, 201313 eventsDrought conditions remained essentially unchanged across northwest Kansas in July, despite a few rounds of precipitation. All counties continue to be rated in D3 (Extreme) to D4 (Exceptional) Drought.
• Drought in Kansas, July 1 to 23, 201311 eventsA year long period of prolonged dry weather, came to a rapid end during the last week of July 2013, as tropical moisture streamed north leading to numerous rounds of showers and thunderstorms.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 201310 eventsMostly hot and dry conditions dominated much of the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas during the first half of July.
• Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 20138 eventsPrecipitation for July was generally near to below average across western north Texas, allowing for a continuation of the long-term drought. The entire area remained under at least D1 drought designation as of the end of July.
• Drought in Nebraska, July 1 to 31, 20136 eventsAppreciable rainfall across the area was sparse during the month. The city of Omaha had it second driest July on record only behind the July of 2012, Norfolk and Lincoln had their 19th and 13th driest July's respectfully.
• Drought in Kansas, July 1 to 31, 20136 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, July 2013 marked the 15th consecutive month of D1 Moderate (or worse) drought within this six-county portion of North Central Kansas, continuing one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s.
• Drought in Texas, July 1, 20135 eventsPeriodic rainfall during the second week of June that temporarily improved drought conditions during the third week of June began to loosen its effect as July began, and little to no rain fell.
• Wildfire in Colorado, July 1 to 9, 2013$3.0 million · 3 eventsThe lightning caused wildfire burned 13,572 acres near the base of, and up the northern slopes of East Spanish Peak. Over 600 firefighters contained the blaze, and one was slightly injured.
• Drought in New Mexico, July 1 to 31, 201340 eventsDrought severity decreased across many areas of western and central New Mexico courtesy of a robust start to the 2013 monsoon season. Near to well above normal precipitation was observed nearly statewide for the month.
• Drought in Colorado, July 1 to 31, 201321 eventsSevere to extreme drought conditions were the norm across western Colorado through the month of July.
• Drought in New Mexico, July 1 to 31, 201317 eventsSignificant rain fell across most of Southwest and South-Central New Mexico in the month of July as the monsoon season went into full effect. Many parts of Southwest New Mexico into the Gila region received over an inch more rain than average for the month.
• Excessive Heat in Arizona, July 1 to 4, 20131 injured · 1 eventA large area of high pressure brought record-breaking temperatures to much of the Desert Southwest. Several people died from the heat, many more were injured, and some infrastructure was damaged.
• Drought in Utah, July 1 to 31, 20137 eventsSevere to extreme drought conditions were the norm across eastern Utah through the month of July. Agriculture, hydrologic and fire concerns were all heightened across the region.
• Drought in Arizona, July 1 to 31, 20136 eventsMonsoon rainfall helped shrink the area of extreme drought (D3) conditions in southeast Arizona toward the end of July. Portions of Graham and Greenlee counties remained dry as the bulk of the rainfall occurred in Cochise County, especially near the international border.
• Excessive Heat in Nevada, July 1 to 5, 201338 deaths · 213 injured · 2 eventsA large area of high pressure brought record-breaking temperatures to much of the Desert Southwest. Several people died from the heat, many more were injured, and some infrastructure was damaged.
• Heat in California, July 1 to 5, 20131 death · 5 eventsA strong high pressure ridge built over Northern California, keeping max temperatures in the Central Valley above 100 for at least 7 days. Overnight temperatures failed to recover, reaching generally down to the mid 60s to 90.
• Drought in Hawaii, July 1 to 31, 20138 eventsAlthough Tropical Cyclone Flossie brought needed rainfall to parts of the Aloha State, the driest areas did not receive enough moisture to lift them out of drought.
• Heat in Utah, July 1 to 4, 20133 deaths · 1 eventA widespread and long-lasting heatwave developed across the western United States at the end of June and continued into the first week of July. Near the end of this heatwave, a few heat-related deaths occurred in southern Utah.
• Wildfire in Nevada, July 1 to 31, 2013$1.0 million · 1 eventLightning sparked the Carpenter One wildfire in the Spring Mountains just outside Las Vegas.
• Excessive Heat in California, July 1 to 3, 20138 eventsA record-setting ridge of high pressure (600 dm over northern New Mexico) built in over the Great Basin and desert Southwest, beginning around June 29th, lasting through approximately July 7, when it hit another peak in temperatures.
• Heat in Massachusetts, July 5 to 6, 20131 death · 1 eventA strong upper level ridge over southern New England resulted in a long period of very hot and humid weather across the region. July 3rd through July 7th all had high temperatures above 90 degrees, constituting an official heat wave for the city of Boston.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in Pennsylvania, July 6 to 7, 20131 injured · 11 eventsThe first run of hot weather that combined high temperatures in the 90s and more oppressive humidity levels affected southeastern Pennsylvania and Berks County on July 6th and 7th and the Lehigh Valley on July 7th.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in New Jersey, July 6 to 7, 201315 eventsThe first run of hot weather that combined high temperatures in the 90s and more oppressive humidity levels affected central and southern New Jersey on July 6th and most of the state on July 7th.
• Wildfire in California, July 6 to 15, 201312 injured · $7.2 million · 1 eventThe Chariot Fire started around 1155 PST on July 6, near Chariot Canyon Road at Oriflamme Canyon Road in Vallecito, San Diego County. The location is east of Sunrise Highway and about 9 miles southeast of Julian. The rugged terrain and poor access hindered control efforts.
• Excessive Heat in New York, July 7 to 8, 20131 death · 1 eventA large area of high pressure pumped hot and humid air across the northeast.
• Wildfire in Arizona, July 8 to 12, 2013$75,000 · 1 eventLightning sparked a wildfire in the Gila River bottom southeast of Kearny on July 8th. The Shipman Fire consumed 518 acres before being fully contained on July 12th.
• Drought in Texas, July 9 to 31, 2013$7,000 · 7 eventsLittle rain was recorded for the counties just north of the Interstate 20 corridor during the month of July. Non-drought conditions were downgraded to severe drought on July 9th and remained in this category for the rest of the month.
• Excessive Heat in Oklahoma, July 9 to 10, 20135 injured · 1 eventHigh temperatures from 100 to 102 degrees combined with high humidity resulted in a period of excessive heat across Tulsa County with daytime heat index values of 105 to 110 degrees.
• Heat in Nebraska, July 9, 2013$2.0 million · 2 eventsHundreds of heat-related cattle deaths occurred durring the afternoon hours on July 9th over portions of central Nebraska. This included areas of Dawson and Polk counties, and possibly other neighboring counties.
• Wildfire in Missouri, July 12, 2013$25,000 · 1 eventDry conditions around the Missouri Ozarks helped in the development of a brush fire which caused some minor damage.
• Heat in Pennsylvania, July 14, 20131 death · 1 eventA 28-year-old railroad worker suffered a heat caused death in Philadelphia on the 14th. The high temperature was 91 degrees.
• Heat in Michigan, July 14 to 19, 2013173 injured · 17 eventsA six day heat impacted Southeast Michigan July 14th through the 19th with high temperatures ranging from the upper 80s to mid 90s.
• Heat in Nevada, July 15, 20131 death · 1 eventOne man died in Las Vegas, with heat as a contributing factor, on a day when the temperature reached 108 degrees.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in Pennsylvania, July 15 to 20, 20132 deaths · 4 injured · 20 eventsThe most oppressive hot spell of the summer season affected Eastern Pennsylvania from July 15th through the 20th. Widespread high temperatures reached into the mid to upper 90s and the most oppressive days (combination of heat and humidity) occurred on the 18th and 19th.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in Delaware, July 15 to 20, 20131 death · 7 eventsThe most oppressive hot spell of the summer season affected Delaware from July 15th through the 20th. Widespread high temperatures reached into the mid 90s and the most oppressive days (combination of heat and humidity) occurred on the 18th and 19th.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in New Jersey, July 15 to 20, 201340 eventsThe most oppressive hot spell of the summer season affected New Jersey from July 15th through the 20th. Widespread high temperatures reached into the mid to upper 90s and the most oppressive days (combination of heat and humidity) occurred on the 18th and 19th.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in Maryland, July 15 to 20, 201315 eventsThe most oppressive hot spell of the summer season affected the Eastern Shore from July 15th through the 20th. Widespread high temperatures reached into the mid 90s and the most oppressive days (combination of heat and humidity) occurred on the 18th and 19th.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in New York, July 15 to 19, 201343 eventsA large ridge of high pressure was situated along the eastern seaboard for the week of July 15th through July 19th. The flow around this high pressure ridge brought a very warm and humid air mass into eastern New York for much of the week, along with plenty of sunshine.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in Connecticut, July 15 to 19, 20138 eventsA large ridge of high pressure was situated along the eastern seaboard for the week of July 15th through July 19th. The flow around this high pressure ridge brought a very warm and humid air mass into Connecticut for much of the week, along with plenty of sunshine.
• Wildfire in Washington, July 15 to 16, 2013$611,000 · 1 eventA weak dry cold front pushed down the Okanogan Valley on the 15th, which resulted in breezy northerly winds. A prolonged period of dry weather combined with the breezy afternoon winds resulted in good conditions for rapid wildfire spread.
• Wildfire in California, July 15 to 30, 2013$2.0 million · 1 eventThe Mountain Fire started around 1243 PST on July 15, near the junction of Highway 243 and Highway 74. It burned east of Mountain Center, through the Apple Canyon and Bonita Vista areas, and then along the Desert Divide and southern portion of the San Jacinto Wilderness.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in Illinois, July 16 to 20, 20136 deaths · $25,000 · 3 eventsFrom July 14th through the 21st, temperatures climbed into the upper 80s to mid 90s while overnight lows stayed in the 70s. The warmest stretch ran from the 17th through the 19th.
• Drought in Arkansas, July 16 to 31, 20135 eventsMost of June and the first part of July were dry in Arkansas. Areas of severe drought developed in parts of northwest and southwest Arkansas at the middle of the month. Rain later in the month reduced the two areas.
• Heat in Wisconsin, July 16, 20131 death · 1 eventOne person passed away from heat related causes near Osseo (Trempealeau County) during a heat wave in the middle of July. The victim apparently fell outside a house on a day when full sunshine was occurring.
• Heat in Wisconsin, July 16 to 19, 201317 eventsA hot dome of high pressure that covered most of the eastern U.S. between July 16th and July 19th produced high temperatures each day in the upper 80s to lower 90s, with widespread heat indices of 95 to 99 over southern Wisconsin.
• Heat in Wisconsin, July 17 to 19, 20131 death · 1 eventA southwest flow of hot and humid air resulted in three days with high temperatures in the 90s and heat indices around 100 across east-central Wisconsin. A middle-aged female died as a direct result of the heat at her residence in the city of Manitowoc.
• Heat in Nevada, July 18 to 20, 20135 deaths · 1 eventFive people died in the Las Vegas area on these three days. High temperatures were 105 or greater each day.
• Heat in Maryland, July 18, 20134 deaths · 12 eventsHigh pressure was located over much of the eastern United States and light southerly flow persisted all week which led to above normal temperatures and dew points in the mid 70s.
• Heat in Virginia, July 18, 201310 eventsHigh pressure was located over much of the eastern United States and light southerly flow persisted all week which led to above normal temperatures and dew points in the mid 70s.
• Excessive Heat in New York, July 19 to 21, 20138 deaths · 9 eventsA large area of high pressure remained nearly stationary to the south for almost a week. This resulted in a prolonged period of high to excessive heat across the area.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in Maryland, July 19, 201313 eventsHigh pressure was located over much of the eastern United States for a consecutive day and light southerly flow persisted all week which led to above normal temperatures and dew points in the mid 70s.
• Excessive Heat in New Jersey, July 19, 20135 eventsA large area of high pressure remained nearly stationary to the south resulting in excessive heat across the area.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in Virginia, July 19, 201310 eventsHigh pressure was located over much of the eastern United States for a consecutive day and light southerly flow persisted all week which led to above normal temperatures and dew points in the mid 70s.
• Wildfire in Washington, July 19 to 20, 2013$1.5 million · 1 eventThe end of June into the month of July saw above average temperatures and dry conditions for much of this period. The warm and dry conditions quickly resulted in receptive fuel conditions for wildfire.
• Wildfire in Washington, July 20 to 21, 2013$35,000 · 1 eventMuch of the month of July was warmer and drier than normal. Only a trace of rainfall had been recorded in Spokane from June 30th through July 20th. Fuels across the area quickly dried out and became receptive to fire spread.
• Drought in Texas, July 23 to 31, 20135 eventsThe coastal counties and Zapata County saw a brief respite and temporary improvement in drought conditions, as the effects from rains during the middle the month, courtesy of a southwest moving upper level disturbance that originated in the Ohio Valley and ended up in northwest…
• Heat in Michigan, July 23, 20131 death · 1 eventA 5 year old boy died of hyperthermia, after he climbed into an unlocked car. The outside temperatures was only in the lower 70s.
• Heat in Texas, July 25, 20131 death · 1 eventAbove normal temperatures were common in July across north Texas. On the afternoon of July 25th, a developmentally disabled man was left in a SUV near his home. The man died later that evening.
• Heat in Nevada, July 27, 20131 death · 1 eventOne person died of heat related causes in Las Vegas. The high temperature was only 93, but highs the previous three days had been 106 or higher, with lows in the 80s.
• Wildfire in Washington, July 27 to 31, 20132 injured · $3.5 million · 1 eventThe month of July was warmer and drier than normal. Fuels across the area became receptive to fire very quickly during this time. Breezy winds on the 27th and 28th also were a contributing factor for rapid fire spread.
• Heat in Nevada, July 30, 20131 death · 1 eventOne person died of heat related causes. The high temperature was 104.
• Drought in Arkansas, July 30 to 31, 20135 eventsVery dry conditions throughout much of June and only sparse rainfall in July led to the development of severe drought in parts of southeast Arkansas by the end of July.
• Drought in Iowa, August 1 to 31, 2013$945 million · 45 eventsSerious drought conditions gripped the state through the summer months. Initial sub-soil moisture was good at the beginning of the growing season. The recharged soil was sufficient to maintain the crops through a good part of the summer.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 2013$90 million · 13 eventsSeveral widespread precipitation events during the month of August provided continued relief in drought conditions across the Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Oklahoma, August 1 to 31, 2013$27 million · 3 eventsSeveral widespread precipitation events during the month of August provided continued relief in drought conditions across the Oklahoma Panhandle. Guymon recorded near average precipitation for the month of August with 2.77 inches of precipitation (0.98 inch above normal).
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 2013$5.0 million · 24 eventsDrought conditions generally improved one level through the month of August. This was due to widespread rainfall around the middle of the month which brought several inches of rainfall. Bailey, Hall, and Parmer Counties dropped down to moderate (D1) drought levels.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 2013$144,000 · 41 eventsDry conditions continued in August of 2013 with most of the region experiencing rainfall deficits between 1 and 2 inches for the month. Extreme / D3 drought was felt over the southern and far western reaches of north Texas during August 2013.
• Drought in Oklahoma, August 1 to 31, 201333 eventsPrecipitation over most of Oklahoma was relatively plentiful during the first half of the month over northern and central sections of the state. This was followed by drier conditions to end the month.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 201329 eventsThe drought worsened across much of South Central Texas in August. With the exception of a small part of the southeast and a few other isolated spots, most of the region received near or below normal rainfall.
• Drought in Nebraska, August 1 to 31, 201327 eventsThe drought that began in June 2012 persisted through August 2013. Exceptional (D4) and Extreme (D3) conditions covered nearly 30 percent of the state. The Exceptional Drought (D4) conditions had improved to Extreme drought (D3) conditions in the Central Sandhills.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 201319 eventsDrought conditions continued to expand in coverage and intensity throughout the month of August across nearly all of Northeast Texas.
• Drought in Nebraska, August 1 to 31, 201317 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, August 2013 marked the 15th consecutive month of D2 Severe (or worse) drought within South Central Nebraska, continuing one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 201315 eventsAlthough drought continues to affect a large part of West Central Texas, it is showing some improvement. The U.S. Drought Monitor continues to indicate a severe drought along and north of Interstate 20 and a severe drought south of a line from Ozona to Brady to San Saba County.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 201314 eventsAbove normal rainfall occurred over the northern Coastal Bend into the Mid-Coast region during the month of August. Some areas received between 5 and 10 inches of rain in August. This rainfall alleviated the drought conditions a bit over this area.
• Drought in Kansas, August 1 to 31, 201313 eventsMinor improvement was seen in drought conditions across northwest Kansas with some areas receiving beneficial rainfall. Twelve of the 13 counties were rated as being in D4 (Exceptional) Drought at the beginning of August, with only Graham county rated as D3 (Extreme) Drought.
• Drought in Louisiana, August 1 to 31, 201311 eventsA very dry August resulted in D2 Severe Drought conditions developing across Northwest Louisiana.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 201310 eventsThe first week of August picked up where the last week of July left off for the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas. With high pressure ridging across the southern Plains and northern Mexico, La Canicula was in full swing.
• Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 20138 eventsWith precipitation amounts near to slightly above average for August, the ongoing severe drought eased slightly over western north Texas.
• Drought in Nebraska, August 1 to 31, 20136 eventsThe cool temperatures of July spilled over into early August across most of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
• Drought in Arkansas, August 1 to 31, 20135 eventsContinued dry weather kept an area of severe drought across parts of southeastern Arkansas early in August. After the middle of the month, however, drought conditions improved for a short time.
• Drought in Kansas, August 1 to 31, 20135 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, August 2013 marked the 15th consecutive month of D2 Severe (or worse) drought within this six-county portion of North Central Kansas, continuing one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s.
• Drought in Arkansas, August 1 to 31, 20134 eventsDrought conditions began during the beginning of the month when nearly all of the southern third of the state became encompassed in D2 Severe Drought conditions.
• Drought in New Mexico, August 1 to 31, 201340 eventsAugust was quite varied in terms of precipitation, typical of the late monsoon period. Overall, the west was near to above normal, while the east was near to below normal.
• Drought in Colorado, August 1 to 31, 201321 eventsAn active Southwest Monsoon continued to bring some relief to portions of western Colorado through August. The heavy rainfall was spotty but the majority of the climate reporting stations received monthly precipitation totals in the positive compared to normal.
• Drought in New Mexico, August 1 to 31, 201315 eventsAll areas of Southern New Mexico either had no change or improved in their drought conditions due to continued monsoon rains across the region.
• Drought in Utah, August 1 to 31, 20137 eventsNear normal precipitation during the month of August resulted in little change for the drought categories across eastern Utah.
• Heat in Nevada, August 1 to 2, 20132 deaths · 1 eventTwo people died in Clark County of heat related causes. High temperatures were 104 to 106 degrees.
• Wildfire in Oregon, August 1 to 6, 20131 death · 2 injured · 1 eventLightning sparked a fire about 14 miles north of Sisters OR on August 1st. A local news reports that 1 firefighter was killed and 2 were injured while working on the fire. The fire has grown to roughly 500 acres or 0.78 square miles.
• Wildfire in Washington, August 1 to 16, 2013$3.5 million · 1 eventThe wildfire was human caused and started near the intersection of Colockum Road and Tarpiscan Road. The fire spread south into neighboring Kittitas County and remained west of the Columbia River. The fire continued to burn into the month of August.
• Drought in Hawaii, August 1 to 31, 20138 eventsSevere and extreme drought conditions - D2 and D3 categories from the US Drought Monitor, respectively - continued to affect portions of Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. County officials thus maintained voluntary and mandatory water restrictions in those areas.
• Wildfire in Nevada, August 1, 20132 injured · $250,000 · 1 eventGusty winds spread a grass fire to two homes in Las Vegas.
• Drought in Texas, August 6 to 31, 20138 eventsLa Canicula kept the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas firmly in it’s grip for the first half of the month, allowing the hot, dry, and breezy weather to combine with already dry soil conditions and further deepen drought conditions across the region.
• Heat in Nevada, August 6, 20132 deaths · 1 eventTwo people died of heat stress on a day with a high temperature of 104 degrees.
• Excessive Heat in Oklahoma, August 6 to 7, 20137 eventsA subtropical ridge of high pressure over Texas helped produce a period of excessive heat across portions of eastern Oklahoma as typical summertime heat combined with high humidity to produce high temperatures around 100 degrees.
• Wildfire in California, August 7 to 12, 201312 injured · $7.0 million · 1 eventThe Silver Fire started due to lightning around 1305 PST on the 7th, along Poppet Flats Road near Hwy 243, south of Banning in Riverside County, with a critical rate of spread.
• Wildfire in Idaho, August 9 to 31, 2013$1.0 million · 1 eventThe Beaver Creek wildfire began with a lightning strike on August 9th northwest of Hailey. Some evacuations of Deer Creek west of the Big Wood River were ordered on the 15th. The East Fork of the Wood River between Ketchum and Sun Valley was evacuated on the 16th.
• Wildfire in Utah, August 10 to 24, 2013$350,000 · 1 eventThe Patch Springs Fire started near the Stansbury Mountains due to a lightning strike on August 10, and was contained two weeks later, but not before causing damage in the town of Terra.
• Wildfire in Utah, August 13 to 18, 2013$700,000 · 1 eventThe Rockport Fire began due to a lightning strike on August 13, and caused significant damage in the town of Rockport.
• Heat in Nevada, August 15 to 17, 20132 deaths · 1 eventTwo people died of heat stress on days with high temperatures of 106 and 109 degrees.
• Heat in Utah, August 15, 20131 death · 1 eventA woman died due to heat exhaustion while hiking in Capitol Reef National Park.
• Wildfire in California, August 17 to 31, 20135 injured · 1 eventThe Rim Fire was a wildfire that began in the Groveland Range District of the Stanislaus National Forest on August 17th.
• Wildfire in Idaho, August 19 to 27, 2013$100,000 · 1 eventThe Triumph Lane wildfire started around 1400 PST on August 19th and grew to 675 acres within two days from strong winds. The fire was located 18 miles east of Lewiston near the community of Culdesac. The fire burnt through brush, tall grass, and pockets of timber.
• Drought in Arkansas, August 20 to 31, 20135 eventsDuring August, afternoon heating and the passage of a couple of cold fronts produced only spotty rainfall across southern Arkansas. By the end of the month, severe drought began to appear across much of the southern part of the state.
• Drought in Arkansas, August 20 to 31, 20134 eventsContinued dry weather led to the development of severe drought over parts of southeastern Arkansas after the middle of August.
• Heat in New York, August 20, 20131 death · 1 eventHigh pressure to the south resulted in plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures.|The death of an infant that was left in a car occurred as the sunshine and warm temperatures heated the car to 119 degrees.
• Excessive Heat in Minnesota, August 25 to 29, 2013244 injured · 30 eventsA large ridge of high pressure built across the central part of the United States during the last week of August.
• Heat in Iowa, August 26 to 30, 201321 eventsA large, nearly stationary upper level high centered over eastern Kansas and Missouri and a dome of unseasonably warm air aloft dominated the weather picture from August 26 through August 30, 2013. This was the hottest weather of the entire summer.
• Heat in Illinois, August 26 to 30, 201313 eventsA large, nearly stationary upper level high centered over eastern Kansas and Missouri and a dome of unseasonably warm air aloft dominated the weather picture from August 26 through August 30, 2013. This was the hottest weather of the entire summer.
• Drought in Missouri, August 27 to 31, 201315 eventsA persistent upper level ridge of high pressure centered over the lower Missouri Valley, in late August, caused D2 drought conditions to redevelop across portions of north central Missouri.
• Drought in Texas, August 27 to 31, 2013$9,000 · 5 eventsA few counties were able to avoid severe or greater drought for a good portion August. Inevitably, however, below-average rainfall and above-normal temperatures resulted in severe or greater drought over all north Texas Counties by the end of the month.
• Heat in Missouri, August 27 to 31, 20131 death · 21 injured · 3 eventsThe first heat wave of the summer finally hit from late August into early September. Heat Index values were 100 or higher peaking out around 110 on August 31. High temperatures ranged from 100 to 103 on August 30 and 31. St.
• Heat in Minnesota, August 29, 20131 death · 1 eventOne person passed away from heat related causes in Stewartville (Olmsted County) during a heat wave at the end of August. The victim had spent the day working in the yard and the combination of the heat and prescription medications are believed to have lead to the death.
• Heat in Wisconsin, August 30, 201315 eventsSouthwest winds ahead of an approaching cold front transported hot and humid conditions, including high heat index values into southern Wisconsin.
• Heat in Illinois, August 30 to 31, 201312 eventsThe first and only real heat wave of the summer of 2013 hit Southern Illinois from late August into early September. High temperatures peaked around 100 degrees with high Heat Index readings from 105 - 110.
• Heat in Nebraska, August 30, 201314 eventsA stagnant upper level high pressure system brought an extended period of very hot temperatures to eastern Nebraska the last week of August.
• Heat in Illinois, August 30, 20131 death · 1 eventAn infant died of heat stroke after being left in a vehicle.
• Heat in Arkansas, August 31, 2013450 injured · 1 eventSeveral hundred people were treated for heat-related issues before, during, and after the Arkansas Razorbacks football game in Fayetteville. A couple dozen of those people were transported to the hospital due to the pronounced nature of their symptoms.
• Heat in Missouri, August 31, 201315 eventsThe first and only real heat wave of the summer of 2013 hit Central and parts of Southeast Missouri from late August into early September. High temperatures peaked around 100 degrees with high Heat Index readings from 105 - 110.
• Heat in Illinois, August 31, 201319 eventsAfternoon heat indices topped out between 105 and 110 degrees at most airport observing sites. The heat index reached 107 at Carbondale, 105 at Harrisburg, and 107 at Carmi. Actual air temperatures were as high as the mid 90's.
• Heat in Kentucky, August 31, 201317 eventsNorth and west of a Murray to Cadiz to Central City line, afternoon heat indices topped out between 105 and 110 degrees at most airport observing sites. The heat index reached 108 at Paducah and 110 at Henderson. Actual air temperatures were as high as the mid 90's.
• Heat in Missouri, August 31, 201311 eventsAfternoon heat indices topped out between 105 and 110 degrees at airport observing sites. The heat index reached 107 at Cape Girardeau and 106 at Poplar Bluff. Actual air temperatures were in the lower to mid 90's.
• Heat in Indiana, August 31, 20136 eventsAfternoon heat indices topped out near 105 degrees at most weather reporting sites. The heat index reached 105 at Evansville. Actual air temperatures were as high as 97 degrees at Evansville.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 2013$22 million · 8 eventsThe month of September brought periods of monsoonal flow and as a result saw several precipitation events across the Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Oklahoma, September 1 to 30, 2013$8.0 million · 3 eventsThe month of September brought periods of monsoonal flow and as a result saw several precipitation events across the Oklahoma Panhandle. Guymon recorded 2.77 inches of precipitation (0.98 inch above normal) for the month of September.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 2013$114,000 · 39 eventsWidespread severe drought conditions held strong across North Texas in September. Rainfall was generally near normal, which was fortunately enough to eradicate most cases of extreme drought.
• Drought in Oklahoma, September 1 to 30, 201339 eventsRainfall ranged from somewhat below to somewhat above average during September in Oklahoma. The northern half of the state generally saw a marginal improvement in drought conditions, while the southern half saw marginal worsening with less rainfall.
• Heat in Missouri, September 1, 20134 injured · 3 eventsThe first heat wave of the summer finally hit from late August into early September. Heat Index values were 100 or higher peaking out around 110 on August 31. High temperatures ranged from 100 to 103 on August 30 and 31. St.
• Drought in Nebraska, September 1 to 30, 201326 eventsThe drought that began in June 2012 persisted through September 2013. Conditions did improve through the month as western and north central Nebraska received normal to above normal precipitation.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 201322 eventsDrought levels generally improved one drought category level through the month of September. Several non-severe thunderstorm events contributed to rainfall across a wide portion of the most severe drought areas.
• Drought in Missouri, September 1 to 30, 201321 eventsSevere drought D2 conditions persisted across most of northern Missouri during the month of September.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 201319 eventsThe month of September started out with most of Northeast Texas being classified with D2 Severe or D3 Extreme Drought conditions.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 23, 2013$18,000 · 6 eventsSevere drought conditions during the summer months were alleviated around the time of the autumnal equinox over the southwestern counties; due mostly to the beneficial rain received during the third week of the month.
• Heat in Missouri, September 1, 201315 eventsThe first and only real heat wave of the summer of 2013 hit Central and parts of Southeast Missouri from late August into early September. High temperatures peaked around 100 degrees with high Heat Index readings from 105 - 110.
• Drought in Louisiana, September 1 to 30, 201314 eventsThe month of September began with most of Northwest Louisiana being classified with D2 Severe Drought conditions. However, beneficial rain fell during the month across all but portions of North Central Louisiana.
• Drought in Nebraska, September 1 to 30, 201314 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, September 2013 marked the 16th consecutive month of category D2 Severe (or worse) Drought within South Central Nebraska, continuing one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 201314 eventsAbove normal rainfall occurred during September over most of South Texas except for portions of the Mid-Coast region and the Victoria Crossroads. Most of the Coastal Bend and southern Brush Country received between 5 and 10 inches of rain in September.
• Drought in Kansas, September 1 to 30, 201313 eventsHeavy rainfall during the month of September eased drought conditions across northwest Kansas. Precipitation was widespread during a major, slow-moving storm system in mid-September. Rainfall generally ranged from 2.50 to 4.50.
• Heat in Illinois, September 1, 201312 eventsThe first and only real heat wave of the summer of 2013 hit Southern Illinois from late August into early September. High temperatures peaked around 100 degrees with high Heat Index readings from 105 - 110.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 201310 eventsBy the end of the first week of September, the benefits from rains that fell during the latter part of August and the first week of September began to be felt.
• Drought in Arkansas, September 1 to 30, 201310 eventsVery dry weather affected most of southern Arkansas and parts of central Arkansas from August into September. Drought conditions worsened through the middle of September, but improvement occurred after rain fell from the 20th into the 21st.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 20139 eventsSeptember brought tremendous improvement in the drought. Most of South Central Texas received above normal precipitation with a large area seeing double their average. Twenty counties moved to better than severe drought (Stage D2) and no county worsened.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 20138 eventsNear-average rainfall over western north Texas led to marginal drought improvement for some areas, and a continuation of the previous month's status for other areas.
• Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 20137 eventsThe drought continued to diminish across West Central Texas during the month of September because of beneficial rainfalls. However, many of the reservoirs remain quite low across the region. According to the U.S.
• Drought in Arkansas, September 1 to 30, 20134 eventsThe month of September began with portions of Southwest Arkansas under D2 Severe drought conditions.
• Drought in New Mexico, September 1 to 30, 201327 eventsSeptember 2013 precipitation was historic for many locales to include much of the northern two-thirds of New Mexico. It was officially the second wettest September statewide on record following 1941.
• Drought in Colorado, September 1 to 30, 201321 eventsSignificant strides were made during a very wet September against the lingering drought in western Colorado. This was due to a lingering monsoonal flow which brought abundant rainfall to all climate reporting sites across the region.
• Drought in New Mexico, September 1 to 17, 201310 eventsA very wet month for most of Southern New Mexico lead to many areas improving to Moderate(D1) drought or better. A late monsoon surge in the middle of the month brought several inches of rain to the region.
• Drought in Utah, September 1 to 30, 20137 eventsSignificant strides were made during a very wet September against the lingering drought in eastern Utah. This was due to a lingering monsoon which brought abundant rainfall to most of the climate reporting sites across the region.
• Drought in New Mexico, September 1 to 30, 20136 eventsA very wet month for most of Southern New Mexico lead to many areas improving to Severe(D2) drought or better. A late monsoon surge in the middle of the month brought several inches of rain to the region.
• Wildfire in California, September 1 to 30, 2013$15 million · 1 eventThe Rim Fire was partly in Stanislaus NF and Partly in Yosemite National Park. The ignition date was 8/17/13 at 1525 PDT. The cause was human and the location was 2 Miles Northeast of Buck Meadows.
• Wildfire in California, September 1 to 30, 20135 injured · 1 eventThe Rim Fire was a wildfire that began in the Groveland Range District of the Stanislaus National Forest on August 17th.
• Drought in Hawaii, September 1 to 30, 20138 eventsDry conditions persisted through September over parts of Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. County officials maintained mandatory and voluntary water restrictions.
• Drought in Iowa, September 3 to 30, 20139 eventsAfter a wet start to the summer, atmospheric conditions developed in July through September that lead to less precipitation falling across the region.
• Wildfire in Texas, September 8 to 9, 2013$400,000 · 1 eventSmith County has been classified as being under a Severe Drought (D2-status) through much of August and this continued into September.
• Wildfire in California, September 9 to 15, 20131 death · 6 injured · 1 eventClover Fire began in the CAL FIRE Shasta-Trinity Unit in Shasta County, in the community of Igo, CA.
• Drought in Iowa, September 10 to 30, 20138 eventsAfter a wet start to the summer, atmospheric conditions developed in July through September that lead to less precipitation falling across the region.
• Drought in Texas, September 10 to 23, 20135 eventsA continued influx of deep tropical moisture combined with the effects of Tropical Storm Ingrid to produce beneficial and very welcomed rains across Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.
• Drought in Wisconsin, September 10 to 30, 20136 eventsSevere drought conditions developed across portions of western Wisconsin after a very dry summer. Precipitation deficits of 6 to 8 inches were common from July 1st through the end of September.
• Heat in New Jersey, September 11, 201313 eventsAn unseasonably hot and humid air mass caused most high temperatures to reach 90F to 95F on the 11th. Combined with high dew point levels, afternoon heat index values reached between 100F and 105F away from the immediate coast.
• Heat in Pennsylvania, September 11, 201311 eventsAn unseasonably hot and humid air mass caused high temperatures to reach between 90F and 95F on the 11th.
• Heat in New York, September 11, 201311 eventsAhead of a storm system, a southerly flow allowed for very warm and humid air to move into the region. Temperatures were quite warm, especially considering that it was mid-September.
• Wildfire in Louisiana, September 11, 20131 injured · 1 eventDrought conditions and a cigarette butt tossed outside during the afternoon hours of September 11th. Winds were gusting due to thunderstorms in the area as well and once the fire started, it quickly spread to a forest in DeSoto Parish.
• Heat in Illinois, September 11, 20131 death · 1 eventA man died from heat stroke after three days with highs in the low to mid 90s.
• Drought in Texas, September 17 to 30, 20136 eventsAs the latter half of September rolled around, rainfall across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas began to taper off.
• Drought in Mississippi, September 17 to 24, 20135 eventsA prolonged dry spell during the latter part of the summer produced severe (D2) drought conditions across portions of Northwest Mississippi by the beginning of September.
• Drought in Arkansas, September 17 to 24, 20134 eventsDry weather from August into September resulted in the development of severe drought in parts of central and eastern Arkansas during the middle of September. Conditions improved following rainfall from the 20th into the 21st.
• Drought in Illinois, September 19 to 30, 201310 eventsVery dry weather was observed across much of central Illinois during the month of August. As conditions worsened, Severe Drought (D2) developed along and northeast of a Galesburg...to Lincoln...to Decatur line by mid to late September.
• Heat in California, September 19, 20131 death · 1 eventOne man died of heat stroke in Death Valley National Park.
• Drought in Texas, September 24 to 30, 20135 eventsThe final week of September brought one last blast of rain to Starr and Zapata counties.
• Drought in Kansas, October 1 to 31, 2013$30 million · 2 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, October 2013 marked the 17th consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity resided in some portion of this six county North Central Kansas area, prolonging one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 2013$20 million · 7 eventsThe month of October saw few precipitation events and the precipitation coverage was much more isolated than September. This led to near steady state of drought conditions across the Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Oklahoma, October 1 to 31, 2013$8.0 million · 3 eventsThe month of October saw few precipitation events and the precipitation coverage was much more isolated than September. This led to near steady state of drought conditions across the Oklahoma Panhandle.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 2013$30,000 · 12 eventsDrought conditions lingered into October, but experienced overall improvement due to rainfall which occurred primarily during the second half of the month.
• Drought in Oklahoma, October 1 to 31, 201331 eventsRainfall was near to slightly above average across most of the state during October. As a result, drought conditions generally remained similar through the month.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 201322 eventsDrought conditions largely remain unchanged through the month of October. Bailey and Hall Counties remained in moderate (D1) drought while the remainder of the area ranged from severe (D2) to exceptional (D4) drought.
• Drought in Nebraska, October 1 to 31, 201322 eventsThe drought that began in June 2012 persisted through October 2013. Conditions did improve through the month across north central Nebraska where above normal precipitation was observed.
• Drought in Missouri, October 1 to 31, 201318 eventsSevere D2 drought conditions continued in the month of October across north central Missouri.
• Drought in Iowa, October 1 to 31, 201316 eventsThere was no change to the D2 Severe Drought area across parts of Eastern Iowa, Northwest Illinois, and Northeast Missouri during the month of October.
• Drought in Kansas, October 1 to 31, 201313 eventsLittle change was noted in drought conditions across northwest Kansas during the month of October. Most of the area continued in D2 (Severe) Drought, with Cheyenne, Rawlins and parts of Decatur and Thomas counties rated as being in D3 (Extreme) Drought.
• Drought in Nebraska, October 1 to 31, 201311 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, October 2013 marked the 17th consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity resided within some portion of South Central Nebraska, prolonging one of the most notable droughts since the 1950s.
• Drought in Arkansas, October 1 to 15, 201310 eventsA lack of rainfall caused the drought in parts of southeastern Arkansas to worsen briefly at the beginning of October. However, rain during the first half of the month improved conditions, with severe drought disappearing from the Little Rock County Warning Area.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 201310 eventsBeneficial rainfall during the fall continued to diminish the severity of the three year drought, agriculturally, across a large part of West Central Texas. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, severe drought continues north of a line from Rotan to Anson to Albany.
• Drought in Illinois, October 1 to 31, 201310 eventsNear normal rainfall of 3 to 4 inches occurred during the month of October: however, this did little to offset cumulative rainfall deficits since August.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 20139 eventsAfter a wet September, October proved to be drier a month, with many locations seeing rainfall deficits of around 2 inches for the month.
• Drought in Illinois, October 1 to 31, 20139 eventsThere was no change to the D2 Severe Drought area across parts of Eastern Iowa, Northwest Illinois, and Northeast Missouri during the month of October.
• Drought in Wisconsin, October 1 to 31, 20139 eventsThe severe drought that developed across western Wisconsin in early September, shrunk in size during the first week in October.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 20138 eventsRainfall was generally near to below normal during October. This led to a slight worsening of drought conditions, particularly over far western portions of north Texas.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 20137 eventsDespite several significant rain events during October, there was little change in the ongoing drought as most of this rain fell in counties where the drought conditions had previously improved.
• Drought in Louisiana, October 1 to 31, 20135 eventsThe month of October began with only 5 parishes in D2 Severe Drought conditions. Those parishes included Bienville, Natchitoches, Lincoln, Union and Ouachita parishes.
• Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 20134 eventsAbove normal rainfall occurred during October over the Brush Country. Most of the Brush Country received between 5 and 8 inches of rain in October. This rainfall alleviated the drought conditions over the western Brush Country by the end of the month.
• Drought in New Mexico, October 1 to 31, 201330 eventsOctober 2013 precipitation was generally below normal with a statewide average of only 40 percent of normal. It was the 29th driest October on record.
• Drought in New Mexico, October 1 to 31, 20136 eventsAfter a few months of improving drought conditions, a dry October kept some areas of Southern New Mexico in Severe(D2) drought.
• Drought in Hawaii, October 1 to 31, 20138 eventsAlthough the Aloha State received much rainfall over different parts of the island chain in October, those areas needing it the most did not receive enough precipitation to reduce drought conditions appreciably. Mandatory and voluntary water restrictions remained in force.
• Wildfire and High Wind in California, October 4, 2013$15,000 · 50 kt wind · 9 eventsStrong winds moved through the area during the early morning hours of Friday, October 4. Winds gusted high enoguh to down trees and powerlines, causing several wildfires to ignite and spread quickly.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 2013$200 million · 21 eventsDrought levels generally remained the same throughout the month of November despite the dry season being upon the region. Most counties remained anywhere between severe (D2) to exceptional (D4) drought conditions. Lamb County dropped from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) conditions.
• Drought in Nebraska, November 1 to 30, 2013$30 million · 6 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, November 2013 marked the 18th consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued at least some portion of South Central Nebraska, prolonging one of the most notable droughts in decades.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 2013$32,000 · 11 eventsOnly 11 out of the 46 counties in the Fort Worth County Warning Area experienced drought conditions in the month of November. Up to 4 to 5 inches of rain fell in Lamar, Parker, Wise, and Tarrant County which ended the drought for these counties.
• Drought in Nebraska, November 1 to 30, 201318 eventsThe drought that began in June 2012 continued across western Nebraska through November. The greatest impacts were across the southwest where Extreme Drought (D3) conditions were observed.
• Drought in Kansas, November 1 to 30, 201313 eventsNo change in the drought assessment across northwest Kansas since late October. The driest counties were Cheyenne and Rawlins which remained in D3 (Extreme) Drought.
• Drought in Oklahoma, November 1 to 30, 201313 eventsWith persistent dry conditions and only a few rain and snow events, much of southwest and western Oklahoma continued to see drought conditions.
• Drought in Illinois, November 1 to 30, 201310 eventsSlightly above normal rainfall occurred across much of central Illinois in November, helping alleviate drought conditions in many areas.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 201310 eventsBeneficial rainfall during the fall continued to diminish the severity of the three year drought, agriculturally, across a large part of West Central Texas. According to the U.S.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 20139 eventsShower and thunderstorm activity during early November provided welcome rain and allowed for some improvement in drought conditions.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 20138 eventsThe month of November was a relatively dry month for most of the Texas Panhandle, with the exceptions being a snow event early in the month for the northwest Texas Panhandle and a snow event for the southern Texas Panhandle at end of the month.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 20138 eventsWith very few precipitation events through the month, dangerous drought conditions continued through the month. Wichita Falls implemented Drought Emergency procedures as regional lake levels continued to fall.
• Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 20137 eventsThere was no change in the drought status across South Central Texas in November despite most of the region receiving less than normal rainfall. At the end of the month Val Verde County was in extreme (Stage D3) drought category.
• Drought in Wisconsin, November 1 to 30, 20135 eventsDuring the first week of November, 1 to 2 inches of rain fell across western into central Wisconsin. This helped the lingering drought, lowering the drought status to moderate across all of Juneau and Monroe Counties.
• Drought in New Mexico, November 1 to 30, 201330 eventsPrecipitation in November 2013 was generally above normal with a statewide average of 0.30 inches above normal, resulting in the 22nd wettest November on record. However, reported precipitation was variable across the state.
• Drought in New Mexico, November 1 to 30, 20136 eventsAnother below average month for precipitation resulted in no change to drought conditoins from October across Southern New Mexico. Severe Drought(D2) remained in place over a small portion of Far Southwest New Mexico and also around the Sacramento Mountains.
• Drought in Hawaii, November 1 to 30, 20138 eventsEven with heavy rainfall in many places across the Aloha State in November, D2 drought conditions, or worse, persisted in parts of Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. Water restrictions remained in effect.
• Drought in Texas, November 12 to 25, 20136 eventsSignificant rainfall during the second half of November allowed for significant improvement in drought conditions across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas.
• Wildfire in Georgia, November 12 to 14, 2013$16,000 · 5 eventsA cold front pushed into northwest Georgia during the morning hours of the 12th. Very little precipitation was associated with the cold front, but winds increased behind the front to between 15 and 20 MPH and gusting to over 25 MPH, creating high fire danger conditions.
• Wildfire and Strong Wind in California, November 20 to 22, 20132 deaths · 1 injured · $157,000 · 15 eventsStrong winds gusted across the greater Bay Area during the evening and overnight hours of November 21 into the early morning of November 22.
• Wildfire in New Jersey, November 23 to 24, 2013$55,000 · 3 eventsThe strong northwest winds, low humidity levels and unseasonably dry November helped rapidly spread wildfires in New Jersey on the weekend of the 23rd and 24th.
• Drought in Texas, November 26 to 30, 20136 eventsThe benefits of signficant rainfall earlier in November continued to be felt the last week of the month. Drought conditions continued to improve despite little to no rain falling the last week of November.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 2013$5.0 million · 22 eventsA slight expansion in worsening drought conditions occurred during the month of December. Despite two winter storms and below average temperatures, no large scale improvement to the drought was noted.
• Drought in Oklahoma, December 1 to 31, 201315 eventsWith persistent dry conditions, drought conditions continued across portions of southwestern and western Oklahoma.
• Drought in Nebraska, December 1 to 31, 201314 eventsThe drought that began in June 2012 continued across western Nebraska through December 2013. The greatest impacts were across the southwest where Extreme Drought (D3) conditions were observed.
• Drought in Kansas, December 1 to 31, 201313 eventsSevere to Extreme (D2-D3) Drought conditions continued across all of northwest Kansas through December. Precipitation ranged between a quarter and three quarters of an inch in November and December combined resulting in little change in the drought status.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 201311 eventsBeneficial rainfall during the fall continued to diminish the severity of the three year drought, agriculturally, across a large part of West Central Texas. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, severe drought continued across portions of North Texas.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 201310 eventsThe month of December was another dry month for most of the Texas Panhandle, with most precipitation being observed late in the month in a single snowstorm that brought 6 to 10 inches of snow to the northwest Texas Panhandle.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 2013$11,000 · 7 eventsOnly 7 of the 46 counties in the Fort Worth CWA experienced drought conditions in the month of December. All counties did improve throughout the month because of 2 to 4 inches of rain across the area.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 30, 20138 eventsDecember started off dry and warm with a stretch of October like temperatures before a cold front pushed across the region plunging temperatures more than 40 degrees.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 20138 eventsDecember was a dry month across South Central Texas with most of the region receiving less than normal rainfall. Fortunately, this had little effect on the drought.
• Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 20137 eventsWith persistent dry conditions, drought conditions continued across portions of western north Texas.
• Drought in Nebraska, December 1 to 31, 20136 eventsAccording to the U.S. Drought Monitor, December 2013 marked the 19th consecutive month during which drought of at least category D2 Severe intensity plagued at least a portion of South Central Nebraska, prolonging one of the most notable droughts in decades.
• Drought in New Mexico, December 1 to 31, 201330 eventsDecember 2013 was drier than normal for a majority of the northern two-thirds of New Mexico, especially the latter half of the month. However, a series of moist Pacific storm systems delivered much need precipitation to many areas of the state from the 4th through the 6th.
• Drought in New Mexico, December 1 to 31, 20136 eventsSlightly below average precipitation was reported across Southern New Mexico during the month of December. There was no change from November in regards to drought conditions across the region.
• Drought in Hawaii, December 1 to 31, 20137 eventsEven with heavy rainfall in many places across the Aloha State in December, D2 drought conditions, or worse, persisted in parts of Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. Water restrictions, mandatory and voluntary, remained in effect.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2013Tornadoes in 2013

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.