Recent rainfall wasn't enough to lift the area out of a drought yet - here's why.
Recent rainfall in the Texas Panhandle area led to the lifting of county burn bans, as well as the potential lessening of the current drought rating.
Luigi Meccariello, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service of Amarillo, stated that the area currently has a 0.22" surplus of rainfall for the year, with 5.42" of rain currently recorded for the year in Amarillo as of Friday.
The meteorologist said that although we have received a good amount of rainfall, the Panhandle area is still considered to be in a drought, and he suspects that much more rainfall is needed. However, the meteorologist said that with the recent rainfall, it is a possibility for the local drought monitor level to move from "severe" to "moderate."
"We definitely got some good range for rainfall over the last couple of days, but in terms of rainfall coverage across the whole Panhandle including Amarillo, it would take a bit more range and amount of rain to get us out of a drought," Meccariello said.
"For the area's current drought monitor, most of the Amarillo area is still in some type of severe drought, but as we look at the next week's drought monitor with the increase of rain that we've had, we could see some improvements possibly to a 'moderate' drought instead of 'severe'," Meccariello added.
Meccariello also said that more rainfall is expected throughout the week, in addition to the rainfall that occurred over the weekend, which will affect these numbers in the upcoming weekly report made every Thursday.
According to NWS, rainfall amounts from Thursday to Friday ranged from one to two inches for north and northeast Amarillo; to two to four inches for southwest Amarillo towards Canyon and Palo Duro Canyon State Park; with rainfall as high as 4.56 inches, recorded 15 miles north to northwest of Amarillo. This amount of rainfall has yet to be included in their year-to-date averages.
With the recent rainfall, the Randall County Commissioner's Court dissolved its burn ban order as of May 15, as stated in a Facebook post by the Randall County Fire Department.
In addition, the Texas Parks and Wildlife said the Palo Duro Canyon State Park has also lifted its burn ban and closed areas Friday afternoon due to flooding as a result form the recent rain. According to park officials, all of their trails were closed until further notice, including a portion of Park Road 5 from the Lighthouse parking lot to the Cactus Picnic Area, and a portion of the Hackberry campground.
The Potter County Commissioners court also announced the rescinding of its burn ban order for Potter County, which Judge Nancy Tanner signed effective May 16.
The Canadian River broke records as its water levels rose during the heavy rainfall. The NWS announced in a Facebook post Friday morning that the Canadian River was flooded in an area 19 miles north of Amarillo at the U.S. Highway 287 bridge. The impacted area included flooded roads near the river banks, spanning from the bridge to the Rosita Creek Flats Recreation Area, where primitive camping occurs.
In the post, the NWS stated: "The river has crested at 8.24 feet and is expected to stay above flood stage through the early morning hours and could fluctuate around flood stage through mid day. The last time the river was this high was in August of 1996 when it crested at 7.69 feet."
The NWS also announced Friday morning that the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River was right at flood stage, and that the water levels were expected to fluctuate as more runoff from Palo Duro Canyon flowed downstream. The NWS stated in the post that at 10 feet, the river would start to overflow its banks and affect adjacent ranch land. The last time the river was above flood stage was last year on July 30, when it reached a stage of 11.25 feet.
In addition to the rise in rainfall, the Potter County Sheriff's Office warned individuals via social media to be more cautious while near or in the Canadian River as the water levels rose, along with potential for flash flooding: "The Potter County Sheriff's Office patrols over 800 square miles to include a good portion of the Canadian River. As long as we're getting this much needed rain, the Canadian River will entice all kinds of adventure seekers to come out and play. If you are planning on any sort of outdoor recreation at the river, please, please, please be prepared. Getting help and utilizing resources takes time. We really don't want to get that call. We want people to enjoy the water and have fun, but serious and tragic events can and have taken place out there. Be safe. Be prepared. Be smart."
With more rainfall expected in the upcoming weeks and season progresses, the NWS reminds drivers to be cautious on the roadways and to turn around when uncertain of the depth of a body of water.
"With a lot of the area recently seeing two inches of rain over a very short period of time, we want people to be aware and cautious of flooding in urban areas, especially nighttime drivers. We ask to be aware; turn around, don't drown. Find alternative routes, and be sure to stay safe in every capacity that you can," Meccariello said.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Rain lifts Potter, Randall county burn bans as drought level remains
