Drought — Willacy, Texas

2023-10-10 to 2023-10-16 · Willacy, Texas

Event narrative

Rainfall estimated and measured at 1 to 5 inches across nearly all of inland Willacy County during the afternoon or October 5th sharply reduced drought levels from Severe (D2) to Abnormally Dry/Moderate Drought (D0 and D1). A small sliver of Severe (D2) remained within a mile or two of the Hidalgo/Kenedy line for the October 10th, 2023 Drought Monitor. Another event on the 10th and early 11th, combined with soil moisture absorption from the 5th, would end Severe Drought by the 17th.

With the drought ended, dollar damage estimates to citrus were provided by Texas Citrus Mutual for the entire growing season. Those values are posted in this entry. Based on an estimate of 10 percent of citrus field in the county, and based on an estimate of a 50 percent loss of all citrus crop across the Rio Grande Valley in 2023, a value of $12.35 million in loss was applied.

Wider weather episode

Two areas of heavy rainfall associated with the season's first notable cold front dropped between 3 and 5 inches in portions of Cameron and Willacy County, and 1 to 2 or more inches in portions of Starr, Jim Hogg, and most of Zapata County during the afternoon and evening of October 5th. These rains, followed by a break in the searing heat, improved drought conditions in these areas - but Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) Drought conditions continued, especially where the rains did not fall (Hidalgo and Brooks County).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1145192. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.