Record Heat In Texas...01/19/00
By Jim Cummins NBC News

GRAND PRARIE, Texas, Jan. 18 — In Texas and the desert southwest the big problem this winter is heat and drought. Almost every day, temperatures have been 10-15 degrees above normal and there’s been no rain. It’s the third major drought in four years.

SEVENTY-FIVE Texas counties have been declared disaster areas so far — 13 more are waiting to join the list. Reservoirs are at the lowest levels in 22 years. The droughts in 1996 and 1998 cost farmers and ranchers $4 billion. The Texas economy lost $11 billion.

State Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs said this drought could be even more devastating. “We are now six weeks away from planting corn in south Texas, the needed moisture is not there. And if it does not start raining soon, many areas of the state may see little or no spring planting,” she said. “You’re going to see rural communities in some sense, drying up.”

The latest survey of drought conditions nationwide showed more than a third of Texas is now experiencing an extreme drought. For livestock producers — primarily cattle ranchers — that’s an immediate threat.

Water wells and ponds are running dry in Tom Green County in West Texas. “We’ve drilled 16 wells here and there’s no more water under the place,” said rancher Eddie Cowen. Their herds can’t survive more than two or three days without water, so ranchers like Bill Butts are forced to sell the cattle early or buy water from people. Butts knows what it’s like to be forced out of business by the drought. “Ran out of water, ran out of grass, sold all the cattle off last week,” he said.

And water supplies are running low in the cities too. “We are to a point where we have to conserve and make sure that every drop is protected for essential use,” said Tom Adams, city manager of San Angelo, Texas. Political leaders say a drought is just like any other weather disaster. “Drought is so insidious,” said Texas Lt. Gov. Rick Perry. “It slowly demoralizes the individuals, the victims a little more each day.”

There has been the usual clamor for more hotlines and government aid, but what victims of this drought really need is more rain. There is none in the forecast here.