October 2011 continued the string of area wide below average rainfall, ensuring no change to the persistent Extreme to Exceptional Drought across the Rio Grande Valley/Deep South Texas region.  Rain on the 1st of the month dropped up to 2 inches or more in Starr and Jim Hogg County; boundaries acting on hot, humid air on the 9th produced the most widespread rains of the month, stretching from Zapata and Brooks County, then enhanced by the Gulf Coast sea breeze from Kenedy south to Cameron County, where pockets of 2 to more than 3 inches fell.  Areas of western Hidalgo and eastern Starr County, facing severe rainfall deficits where less than 5 inches of rain fell in water year 2011 (October 2010 to September 2011) missed the rain.

Drought in KENEDY, TEXAS
From 01-OCT-11 00:00:00 to 31-OCT-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Exceptional (D4) drought conditions covered nearly all of Kenedy County through October.  A brief period of improvement to Extreme (D3) spread into the county from Armstrong to the Willacy border, after 2 to 3 inches of rain fell on October 9th.  The area of Extreme Drought would continue through the end of the month.

Drought in COASTAL WILLACY, TEXAS
From 01-OCT-11 00:00:00 to 31-OCT-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Exceptional (D4) Drought conditions persisted across coastal Willacy County through October.  A pocket of heavy rainfall a little more than an inch was far shy of the monthly average (around 4 inches), except near Port Mansfield, and did little to improve the long term dryness.

Drought in ZAPATA, TEXAS
From 01-OCT-11 00:00:00 to 03-OCT-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Exceptional (D4) drought conditions continued across the north and northwestern one third of Zapata County into the first week of October, with Extreme (D3) conditions dominating the remainder of the county.

Drought in WILLACY, TEXAS
From 01-OCT-11 00:00:00 to 31-OCT-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) Drought conditions prevailed across inland Willacy County through October.  Extreme conditions (slight improvement) appeared across the western half of the county by October 4th, after some welcome rainfall on the 1st; measured/estimated rainfall between 1 and 2 inches on the 9th maintained the slightly improved area through the remainder of the month.  Locations east of State Highway 77 and south of State Highway 186 saw less rain, and continued at Exceptional levels.

Drought in JIM HOGG, TEXAS
From 01-OCT-11 00:00:00 to 31-OCT-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Severe (D3) Drought conditions prevailed across all but the extreme southeast and extreme north sections of Jim Hogg County, where Exceptional (D4) conditions prevailed, through October.  Locally heavy rainfall across the south central and southwest portion of the county on the 1st assured that worsening conditions would hold off through the month.

Drought in CAMERON, TEXAS
From 01-OCT-11 00:00:00 to 31-OCT-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Severe (D2) to Exceptional (D4) Drought conditions prevailed across inland Cameron County through the month of October.  Rain events on October 1st and 9th helped to reshape the areas through the month.  In general, Exceptional conditions prevailed east of State Highway 77; Extreme (D3) prevailed in a thin band along and just west of the highway, including Brownsville and Harlingen, and western Cameron County (Santa Rosa-La Feria) remained in Severe conditions.

Drought in STARR, TEXAS
From 01-OCT-11 00:00:00 to 31-OCT-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) Drought conditions dominated the county through October.  The month began with all but the northwest sliver of the county in Exceptional Drought; locally heavy rains up to 2 inches or more fell generally along a Roma to Rio Grande City line, extending northward into southern Jim Hogg County during the late afternoon of October 1st.  These rains would slightly improve conditions to Extreme across the western half of the county, which would continue through month's end.

Drought in BROOKS, TEXAS
From 01-OCT-11 00:00:00 to 31-OCT-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Exceptional (D4) Drought conditions dominated all but a small sliver of northwestern Brooks County through October, which improved slightly to Extreme (D3) by October 4th after a few thunderstorms dropped slightly hopeful rains.

Drought in HIDALGO, TEXAS
From 01-OCT-11 00:00:00 to 31-OCT-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Exceptional (D4) Drought conditions dominated Hidalgo County with the sole exception of communities along the Rio Grande from Penitas to the Cameron County line, where Exceptional (D4) conditions improved slightly to Extreme (D3, Penitas to Pharr/McAllen) on the 11th.  Extreme conditions prevailed around Weslaco/Donna, with Severe (D2) holding on in Mercedes, where enough rain fell to temporarily keep conditions from worsening.
The extended drought in one of the Valley's agricultural heartlands may have impacted the coming autumn citrus harvest.  Details and damage estimates may be provided in the December report.

Drought in COASTAL CAMERON, TEXAS
From 01-OCT-11 00:00:00 to 31-OCT-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Exceptional (D4) Drought conditions persisted across all of Coastal Cameron County through October.  Estimated rainfall of 1 to 2 inches on October 9th from Arroyo City to Laguna Atascosa was not enough to reduce the long term drought; monthly totals were still less than one half of average.