Recent Rains Help, But Most Of Texas Is Still Very Thirsty
Water has always been important to Texas, but perhaps never more than now, with the state attracting more and more industries, with the energy sector running at full speed and with agriculture – as always – leading the way. But Texas faces numerous water issues, and none may be bigger than the drought which has enveloped much of the state for years.
Recent rains have lessened some of the drought’s impact in several areas, but overall, Texas is still hurting for water — about 70 percent of the state is in some sort of drought status ranging from moderate to exceptional, the highest rank.
John Nielsen-Gammon, professor atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University who also serves as the State Climatologist, knows more about the state’s past – wet or dry – than anyone. He travels the state on a regular basis speaking to various groups about the drought, and the most often-asked question is, “When will the drought end?”
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