Last year Texas suffered the worst drought on record. The US Drought Monitor had most of Texas listed under exceptional drought conditions. The forecast for the region this year was warm and dry - a continuation of those drought conditions.
However, Houston, where I live, has received 17.72 inches of rain YTD. At this point last year everyone was exclaiming how beautiful the weather had been and how great it was. I was the only one saying, "Uh it needs to rain!" A year ago, Houston had received 6.3 inches of rain which was under the average by about 2 inches. Sometimes you can see the warning signs as they are happening and wonder how bad something is going to get.
On July 4, 2011, Houston has received a little over 8 inches of rain when the average by that time was over 24 inches. In late July, we had a small break as the sea breeze was allowed to create some thunderstorm development, but it was scattered and akin to a bandaid on a lost limb.
As winter came, it was apparent how devestating the drought had been. Thousands of trees died, many of them pines. Houston's Memorial Park has sections where the Public Works Dept gutted them because of the number of dead trees. George Bush Park on the far west side of town had two seperate fires in the late summer.
So now all of the area resevoirs are full again and the trees are recovering, but all I can think of is, "This was not what was supposed to occur." Several of my friends were scared that Houston could not survive another Spring with no rain and a terrible summer heat wave. I am incredibly thankful for the rain. No one in the city will curse the rain for a long time, last summer was that dreadful.
But my greater concern is simply that we may no longer understand our long term weather patterns. Weather is messed up all over the place. I don't think it froze in Houston this past winter. I see reports of summer temps in New England. Have we entered the point where we just don't know what to expect anymore? if so, then that is the most frightening thing I've heard in a long time.