Texas Drought Getting Worse

The drought in Texas just keeps getting worse--almost the entire state is now in "exceptional" drought conditions, the worst category:

(Via the Office of the State Climatologist in Texas.) An article says it could last another decade:

This summer, the weather in Texas was anything but normal. According to the "Societal Impacts of Climate in Texas," produced by the office of the state climatologist, the state led the nation in hot-car deaths; the drought caused higher food prices; high temperatures caused railroad tracks in North Texas to warp; the heat triggered asthma and allergy symptoms; and the heat caused foundation problems for homeowners. The list goes on.

Underneath those wounds of the drought and heat lurks the potential for even more serious damage. The Texas AgriLife Extension at Texas A&M University estimated last month that the drought has cost Texas $5.2 billion in crops and livestock — exceeding the previous record of $4.1 billion during the 2006 drought. And late last month, the state climatologist warned that dry years could stretch on for nearly another full decade.