Counties with the worst droughts in Texas

Written by:
August 23, 2023
Canva

Counties with the worst droughts in Texas

Nearly one-third of the continental U.S. is currently experiencing moderate to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Parts of the West are currently experiencing a brief reprieve from its driest period of the last 1,200 years, but conditions are worsening in the Northwest and Southwest.

In periods of drought, levels of major reservoirs and rivers can fall dramatically. Groundwater systems too feel the effects, and shrinking water supplies impact agriculture, hydropower generation, and wildfire risk.

Periods of drought have intensified and become more frequent in recent years due to climate change. Scientists predict that even in low emissions scenarios, much of the U.S. will be drier by the end of the century.

Stacker cited data from U.S. Drought Monitor to identify the counties in Texas with the worst droughts in the week leading up to August 21, 2023. Counties are listed in order of percent of the area in drought conditions. Abnormally dry is not considered to be a drought, but is included as a separate data point. Additional data for the state overall is included. Any counties which are not experiencing drought are not included in the slideshow. Counties are listed in order of drought severity, but the list does not necessarily include every county in Texas which is experiencing drought.

Texas statistics

- Abnormally dry: 16.8%
- Area in drought: 71.4% (#5 nationally)
--- Moderate drought: 24.9%
--- Severe drought: 30.7%
--- Extreme drought: 14.3%
--- Exceptional drought: 1.5%

Ector County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 65.6%
--- Extreme drought: 34.4%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Victoria County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 63.5%
--- Extreme drought: 36.5%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Bastrop County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 62.1%
--- Extreme drought: 37.9%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Refugio County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 14.3%
--- Severe drought: 47.4%
--- Extreme drought: 38.3%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Harris County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 61.3%
--- Extreme drought: 38.7%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Jackson County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 56.9%
--- Extreme drought: 43.1%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Lee County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 56.6%
--- Extreme drought: 43.4%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Comanche County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 54.6%
--- Extreme drought: 45.4%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

McLennan County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 40.5%
--- Extreme drought: 59.5%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Caldwell County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 37.5%
--- Extreme drought: 62.5%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Angelina County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 31.5%
--- Extreme drought: 68.5%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

San Saba County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 28.6%
--- Extreme drought: 71.4%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Guadalupe County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 27.8%
--- Extreme drought: 72.2%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Mills County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 15.8%
--- Extreme drought: 84.2%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Hamilton County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 14.1%
--- Extreme drought: 85.9%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

San Jacinto County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 10.9%
--- Extreme drought: 89.1%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Midland County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 5.3%
--- Extreme drought: 94.7%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Calhoun County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.1%
--- Severe drought: 0.8%
--- Extreme drought: 99.2%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

San Augustine County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.7%
--- Extreme drought: 99.3%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Tyler County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Travis County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Sabine County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Polk County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Orange County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Newton County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Matagorda County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Llano County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Liberty County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Lampasas County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Jefferson County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Jasper County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Hays County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Hardin County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Galveston County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Chambers County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Brazoria County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%

Mason County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 12.0%
--- Extreme drought: 87.9%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.1%

Medina County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 26.6%
--- Extreme drought: 72.3%
--- Exceptional drought: 1.1%

Burnet County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 97.9%
--- Exceptional drought: 2.1%

Coryell County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 94.9%
--- Exceptional drought: 5.1%

Bexar County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 89.5%
--- Exceptional drought: 10.5%

Kimble County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 30.3%
--- Extreme drought: 52.1%
--- Exceptional drought: 17.6%

Comal County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 75.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 25.0%

Williamson County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 74.6%
--- Exceptional drought: 25.4%

Blanco County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 74.1%
--- Exceptional drought: 25.9%

Bandera County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 1.0%
--- Extreme drought: 59.8%
--- Exceptional drought: 39.2%

Bell County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 1.0%
--- Extreme drought: 55.2%
--- Exceptional drought: 43.8%

Kerr County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 34.9%
--- Exceptional drought: 65.1%

Gillespie County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 32.2%
--- Exceptional drought: 67.8%

Kendall County

- Abnormally dry: 0.0%
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 100.0%

Trending Now