Finally, rain makes a 'dent' in drought

The Rio Grande Valley’s exceptional drought will likely be affected by this month’s rain, which as of Wednesday added up to as much as 3 inches in some parts of Cameron County.

“The rain’s going to put a dent into the drought, but it’s too soon to say that the drought is over,” Geoff Bogorad, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Brownsville office, said.

More rain is expected through Saturday, and with downpours on Sunday and Wednesday rain totals in some parts of the region have already exceeded their average monthly totals, he said.

“The chance for rain remains quite high between now and the first half of the weekend,” Bogorad said. “Droughts are usually determined from rainfall deficits. Of course, we’ve been in a rainfall deficit for the last 12 to 18 months. This will help narrow that deficit.”

A Wednesday report from the National Weather Service at Brownsville said the Valley’s drought designation, which is recorded by the Texas Forest Service and U.S. Drought Monitor, would likely improve as it may be downgraded from “exceptional” to “severe.”

Texas on the whole has experienced a prolonged drought with effects that include the slow death of trees in certain areas and at least one small town being forced to truck in water for use.

In the Valley, Bogorad said an observer just south of San Benito reported 3.43 inches of rain on Wednesday. A NWS map showed that for this month, as of Wednesday morning, Brownsville had received 2.71 inches, while Harlingen was at 2.85 inches and the South Padre Island area at 2.4 inches of rain. The moisture has been concentrated in the mid-to- lower Valley, he said, but Hidalgo County and surrounding areas have also received rain.

The newest NWS report created on Wednesday was titled, in part, “Rain, Beautiful Rain!” and Bogorad called the moment a “nice reprieve” from the drought.

“It’s a relief for us personally, as well as for how we feel about the community,” he said of the NWS being able to report about the rain with some optimism. “We don’t like to see any natural disasters occur. Drought usually has effects on a larger scale.”