Outdoor burn bans in record 248 Texas counties

[sonias]

AAS 8/1/11

Outdoor burn bans in record 248 Texas counties

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — The Texas Forest Service says a record 248 counties have outdoor burn bans as the drought continues during oppressive summer heat.

The agency reported Monday that the only Texas counties lacking bans on outdoor burning are Brooks, Chambers, Jefferson, Orange, Willacy and Zapata counties.

The whole state is a tinder box waiting to catch fire. :scared:

[kentauros]

1. It is pretty insane.

And every time I think some storm is coming over from Louisiana, it really does just evaporate at our borders. I think Perry's praying is having the opposite effect. They wanted a "red" state; well, they're getting it, as in "red hot" :(

Oh, I look at these satellite sites from NOAA for an idea of what's going on with storms other than just hurricanes. Look at the "Water Vapor" loop for an idea of that "evaporating" effect:

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/imagery/gmex.html

[ashling]

2. Puttin' the hurt on business

aside from agriculture, this probably affects a lot of trades.
Afew years back I was in Kingsland getting some stuff out of a storeage unit I had down there. They were putting up a small office on the site - on a large concrete pad. The cops and a county supervisor were out there arguing with this guy trying to do some welding. All outdoor welding was banned even right in the middle of a large concrete pad nowhere near any tinder.

They welder thought it was political since he had a one man outfit and the big guys down the highway had a huge building. Could have been

Multiply that by 254 counties...

[sonias]

3. Yep it is not good for business

Think about all the water related businesses too. Their business is way down too. Lakes are low etc.

:hi:

[ashling]

4. Driving through western Johnson county

nothing but dry cracked mud where cattle tanks used to be. creeks dry
I haven't even been out to the lake.

[sonias]

5. May not be there

Dry lake bed, we are starting to have a regular occurrence of dry lake beds.

Austin hit a record high of 107 today. And boy did it feel like it was HOT!

Weather Watch blog AAS 8/1/11
Austin hits 107 for the first time this year

UPDATE: Austin hit 107 today at 2 :30 p.m., making it the hottest day of the year so far.

Central Texas will kick August off with more triple-digit heat and a shot at setting record highs, according to the National Weather Service.

This week’s highs are slated to reach 104 degrees or more, which could tie or break previous record highs set for the first week of August, the service says.
Yesterday’s high reached 102 at Camp Mabry and 101 at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the service said.

:cry:

[ashling]

6. We were at nice cool 105

forecast says 107 tommorow

[sonias]

7. I'm actually beginning to think that 95 is chilly

I can't wait for the chilly weather. :)

[sonias]

8. End Times? Texas Lake Turns Blood-Red

Yahoo News / Live Science 8/1/11
End Times? Texas Lake Turns Blood-Red

A Texas lake that turned blood-red this summer may not be a sign of the End Times, but probably is the end of a popular fishing and recreation spot.

A drought has left the OC Fisher Reservoir in San Angelo State Park in West Texas almost entirely dry. The water that is left is stagnant, full of dead fish — and a deep, opaque red.

The color has some apocalypse believers suggesting that OC Fisher is an early sign of the end of the world, but Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries officials say the bloody look is the result of Chromatiaceae bacteria, which thrive in oxygen-deprived water.

"It's just heartbreaking," said Charles Cruz, a fish and wildlife technician with Texas Parks and Wildlife in San Angelo, Tex.

Blood red reservoir

Texas is experiencing major drought this summer, with 75 percent of the state's area in an "exceptional" drought, the highest level, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC). The state had hoped for some relief from Tropical Storm Don last week, but the system fizzled and brought only an inch or two of rain to areas near the coast.

:scared:

[w8liftinglady]

9. I grew up in San Angelo. OC Fisher was a big fishing spot

http://maps.google.com/maps?rlz=1T4ADRA_enUS413US414&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=san+angelo+lakes&fb=1&gl=us&hq=lakes&hnear=0x8657e583a53b7191:0x827e3d0b3754c742,San+Angelo,+TX&ei=noU4TsjpCsqysAK16_gr&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=image&ved=0CAQQtgM&iwloc=cids:16367239604531075941

[sonias]

10. So very sad to see these lakes dry up

And the fish die off. It is heartbreaking. :(