We're wilting

The drought will continue ... at least through September?  uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


Texas Wilting Under Extreme Heat

By TOM FOWLER and MEGAN RYAN

Extreme heat continued across Texas on Tuesday, leading to a second straight day of record power use and the declaration of a Level 1 energy emergency by the state's electric grid operator.


No immediate relief is in sight for cities suffering with record highs, heavy water usage and a mounting heat-related death toll. The situation is dire for Texas farmers and ranchers as well, with the combined effect of heat and drought ruining crop production and stressing livestock herds to the limit.

In Texas, with all due respect to poet T.S. Eliot, August is the cruelest month. Anyone looking for a true wasteland need only survey the Texas landscape, about 90 percent of it covered on a map by an overlay of deep red indicating extreme drought, these days accompanied by unprecedented heat.

Last August saw an all-time record for electricity usage, with the high mark coming at 67,775 megawatts on Aug. 23. But Tuesday's demand topped out at 5 p.m. with a reading of 67,929 megawatts, exceeding Monday's previous record of 66,867 megawatts.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees the power grid for about 85 percent of the state, warned Monday of high demand for the entire week. But around 2:40 p.m. Tuesday, ERCOT went a step further, activating the first of a four-stage warning system as surging demand sucked power reserves below a key safety margin.

Calling on consumers to conserve electricity, ERCOT began bringing all available power plants online and tapping neighboring power grids — including about 130 megawatts from Mexico.

One megawatt is enough to power about 200 Texas homes during hot weather when air conditioners are running for long periods of time. Whether consumers are responding to the call for conservation is unknown, said Kent Saathoff, ERCOT's vice president of system planning and operations.

"We certainly hope so," he said.

Cooling centers available


In Houston, the hottest summer on record continues. The National Weather Service extended a heat advisory for Houston and other cities in Southeast Texas until 9 p.m. Thursday. Though the temperature reached "only" 100, the heat index made it feel 10 degrees worse - a scenario repeated day after day.

Chris McKinney, a meteorologist for the Houston-Galveston weather service office, said those who can should limit outdoor activities as much as possible. If staying indoors is not an option, then frequent water breaks, light clothing and extended shade are recommended to avoid heat-related illness.

Eight cooling centers are available across Houston. They are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public also is welcome to cool down in any library, multi-service center or public center as long as the facility is open, said Kathy Barton, chief of the Office of Public Affairs for the Houston Department of Health and Human Services.

Warmest June ever

From a climate perspective, with June and July gone, summer is now about two-thirds over. Houston's average temperature for those two months has been 86.7 degrees, warmer than any June-July period on record.

After this June finished as the warmest on record, July ended as the third warmest in the city's history.

The heat has been driven primarily by a large high-pressure dome, which meteorologists explain has largely kept rainy weather at bay and turned up the heat with ample sunshine.

Forecasters say there's little break in the pattern through the weekend, with high pressure remaining dominant until at least then.

As bad as it's been here, it's been worse in Dallas, where a health official says 12 people have died from the heat this summer, already three more than last year's total with the hottest month just under way.

Dallas County Health and Human Services spokeswoman Blanca Cantu said Tuesday that officials are encouraging residents to check on family members and neighbors.

Temperatures are expected to reach record triple-digit highs this week in several big Texas cities, including Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. Water consumption and electricity usage are soaring as a result.

Drought grinds on

ERCOT's Saathoff said the state could continue to break demand records throughout the week, although thunderstorms or additional cloud cover could greatly reduce the load on the grid in some areas, he said.

"We're concerned particularly for the rest of this week, as temperatures are forecast to be at about the same levels," Saathoff noted.

Though power supply is less of an issue in rural areas where residents don't feel the "heat island" effect created by population density and tons of concrete, the suffering has been worse. Heat and drought destroy their livelihood.

About 70 percent of Texas rangeland and pastures are classified as in very poor condition, which means there has been complete or near complete crop failure or there's no food for grazing livestock.

Crop and livestock losses could be the worst the state has seen - perhaps twice the previous single-year record of $4.1 billion set in 2006, said David Anderson, an economist with Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Consumers will eventually see the cost of the drought passed on to them, although it's hard to put a number on it since processing, marketing, transportation and other costs also play a big role in retail prices, he said.

And the situation isn't likely to improve soon: Forecasters predict the drought will persist across Texas through September.

Original.