Near record to record hot and generally rain-free weather to begin the normally wettest month of the calendar year maintained a large swath of Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) Drought across all but the eastern portions of the Brush Country/Coastal Plains and Rio Grande Valley.

Drought in CAMERON, TEXAS
From 01-SEP-23 00:00:00 to 18-SEP-23 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) Drought Continued across the southern half of Cameron County, south of a line from Santa Rosa through Harlingen to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, through the middle of September as the typically welcome rainfall failed to arrive in a significant way, while record heat continued from August into September.

Drought in COASTAL CAMERON, TEXAS
From 01-SEP-23 00:00:00 to 18-SEP-23 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) Drought Continued across the southern half of Coastal Cameron County, south of a line from Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, through the middle of September as the typically welcome rainfall failed to arrive in a significant way, while record heat continued from August into September.

Drought in CAMERON ISLAND, TEXAS
From 01-SEP-23 00:00:00 to 18-SEP-23 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) Drought Continued across the Cameron County barrier island to include all of the City of South Padre Island through Boca Chica Beach, through the middle of September as the typically welcome rainfall failed to arrive in a significant way.

Drought in NORTHERN HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS
From 01-SEP-23 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-23 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) Drought persisted across the western half of Northern Hidalgo County through September 25th, mainly along and west of Interstate 69C, as the typically wet conditions in September failed to materialize, while temperatures remained at or near record levels for the month and the astronomical summer (June 21 to September 22) overall. The Severe Drought area would expand eastward to cover all of northern Hidalgo County by September 26th. Impacts to livestock continued to be felt, with dollar damages not yet known as of late November.

Drought in BROOKS, TEXAS
From 01-SEP-23 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-23 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) Drought persisted across southwest Brooks County through September 25th, before expanding east to cover all but the northern fifth of the county from the 26th through month's end.  Lack of seasonal rainfall for the wettest month of the calendar year, and continued record to near-record heat were the primary reasons for the deteriorating conditions.  No financial data were available for livestock impacts, though there were known issues due to paltry water supplies.

Drought in ZAPATA, TEXAS
From 01-SEP-23 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-23 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Extreme (D3) Drought dominated September across most of Zapata County, as rainfall was limited to patches of the county (mainly the northern tier) after mid month.  At the start of the month, a sliver of Severe (D2) Drought existed near the Starr County and Webb County lines (south and north); these were eliminated by continued searing heat and lack of rainfall by September 5th, and the entire county was at Extreme levels until the aforementioned rainfall across the extreme northern tier mid-month helped knock down the drought level one category, to Severe (D2) once again from San Ygnacio northeast to the Jim Hogg line on September 19, about 5 miles south of the Webb County line. Livestock were impacted by the conditions, though there were not specific loss values available at the time of this writing (late November).

Drought in JIM HOGG, TEXAS
From 01-SEP-23 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-23 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) Drought conditions dominated Jim Hogg County through September, as searing, record to near record heat continued and rainfall was limited to local heavy rain in thunderstorms, mainly in northern portions of the county, during the middle of the month (September 15), when more than 4 inches fell near Hebbronville.  Farther south, lack of sufficient rainfall kept conditions unchanged for the month.
For the county overall, Extreme conditions held across the western third to half of the county, with Severe conditions elsewhere until the September 19th monitor, when the aforementioned rains allowed minor improvement from Severe to Moderate (D1) in the northeast fifth of the county, including Hebbronville.
Livestock were impacted by the combination of searing heat and lack of significant rainfall. Dollar damage impacts were not known as of this writing (late November).

Drought in STARR, TEXAS
From 01-SEP-23 00:00:00 to 04-SEP-23 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) Drought continued from late August into early September across all but the far northwest corner of the county (immediate border with Zapata and Jim Hogg) where Extreme (D3) Drought was in place.

Drought in SOUTHERN HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS
From 01-SEP-23 00:00:00 to 04-SEP-23 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) Drought persisted from late August into early September across southern Hidalgo County (generally defined as locations south of FM 490), and mainly west of the Hargill/Monte Alto area (which were at Moderate, or D1, Drought).