Drought in Live Oak, Texas

Continued D2 drought.

Hot, dry, and often windy conditions dominated, with highs frequently exceeding 100 degF and only spotty light rainfall offering brief relief. The extreme heat rapidly depleted soil moisture despite steady river and creek levels, leaving topsoil and subsoil very dry. Harvests of corn, sorghum, sunflowers, sesame, and cotton progressed, with some cotton fields showing heat stress but holding under irrigation. Vegetable harvests, including okra and squash, continued at a slower pace, while strawberries were being prepped for planting and fall vegetables were underway. Peanuts advanced under irrigation, and pecans appeared healthy though long-term yields may be low. Citrus orchards and hay meadows required heavy irrigation, and while hay production continued, pastures and rangeland quickly deteriorated, forcing producers to supplement livestock feed and water. Livestock and wildlife were generally in good condition but increasingly reliant on support, while high feed costs and worsening pasture conditions led some ranchers to thin herds.