Careful What You Pray For, Texas

Posted on Jul 28, 2011

National Weather Service

Editor’s note: For more information about Tropical Storm Don, click here.

Texas is suffering through one of the worst droughts in the state’s history, and things have gotten so bad that news of a tropical storm—that thing just below a hurricane on the bad-weather scale—is being greeted with cautious optimism. Texas Gov. Rick Perry named three days in April “Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas.”

He may get more than he bargained for.

As quoted by Reuters, Texas State Climatologist John Nielson-Gammon takes a more scientific view:

Nielson-Gammon said the fact that the Atlantic and Gulf was seeing its fourth named storm of the season in July was evidence that the La Nina system that has been causing the Texas drought may be breaking down.

“Hopefully we will get more tropical storms and not get hurricanes,” he said. “We could use the rain, but not the wind.”

May as well hope and/or pray for some sensible climate-change legislation while you’re at it.  —PZS

 

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