Heavy rains in Texas Hill Country alleviated drought, but Medina County still faces exceptionally dry conditions.
SAN ANTONIO — Last week’s immense rainfall in the Texas Hill Country made significant dent in the ongoing drought situation for certain counties, including Kerr, Kendall and Bandera, parts of which dropped two full classifications in the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report.
The Guadalupe River rose to historic – and ultimately deadly – levels in some parts of Central Texas where upwards of 8 inches fell the morning of July Fourth. Drought reports are released every Thursday, and this week’s indicates no exceptional drought (the monitor’s most severe drought classification) in the San Antonio region for the first time since late February.
It would take more rain, and soon, to lift the region completely out of drought status. South-Central Texas hasn’t been mostly drought-free since late 2021.
“Although 1 to 2-category improvements were made, a long-term drought dating back multiple years with low groundwater and reservoir levels continue,” Drought Monitor officials said.
Medina County is the only one in the San Antonio region in a which a majority of the county is under exceptional drought. Much of Bandera County has been downgraded to “severe,” the third-highest level, while parts of Kerr and Kendall are faring even better.
Take a look below to see how the region’s drought status has changed.
Explaining the drought levels
- D0 (yellow color in the map) indicates “Abnormally Dry” conditions.
- D1 (light orange) indicates “Moderate Drought” conditions.
- D2 (orange) indicates “Severe Drought” conditions.
- D3 (red) indicates “Extreme Drought” conditions.
- D4 (dark brown) indicates “Exceptional Drought” conditions.