Rain, rain and more rain. It made August 2016 the wettest August in more than a century and equal to the rainiest ever, according to preliminary figures released last week by the state climatologist office at Texas A&M University.
The Lone Star State received an average 5.69 inches of rain statewide. Based on records that go back 121 years, August 2016 tied for the same amount measured in 1914, which was the record holder.
The rainfall can be attributed to an atmospheric wind pattern that pumped lots of deep, moist tropical air into Texas, according to State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon.
“The heaviest rain mainly has been in East, Central and Southeast Texas,” Nielsen-Gammon told the Associated Press. “Some parts of Southeast Texas received more than 15 inches of rain for the month.”
The state also averaged 75.25 inches of rain over the past two years, topping the previous mark of 74.895 set in 1942.
And it could stay wet for the next couple of months, because September and October are historically the wettest months of the year in Texas.
“If a tropical storm or hurricane stalls over Texas—September is the peak month for such storms—then we would be at risk for serious flooding since most of the ground is already saturated,” Nielsen-Gammon said.
But some parts of the Lone Star State still remain dry. Areas around Lubbock, San Angelo, Midland, Wichita Falls and Cameron County are facing moderate drought conditions as of last week, he said.
Comprehensive records date to 1895, and Nielsen-Gammon said the final numbers won’t be official for another few months.