LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Recent rains that fell on Texas saturated many parts of the state and lessened drought conditions.
The U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday shows that about 95 percent of Texas has no drought. Just more than 4 percent has moderate drought.
Heavy rains that brought flooding to the Austin region eliminated small areas of severe drought, the third-driest category on the weekly map, in places such as Wichita Falls and Abilene.
A Texas A&M University statement says the five-day period beginning Oct. 22 was the wettest on record, with a statewide average of 3.97 inches. That’s when remnants of Hurricane Patricia and a separate storm moved across the state. Those five days eliminated the two driest drought categories.
The previous five-day record came in December 1991, when 3.82 inches fell.