Texas Drought Could Last 9 More Years

Watch how drought has spread across Texas and the Southern Plains over the past 12 weeks.

Photo By: US Drought Monitor

Already a $5 billion weather disaster, the drought centered on Texas is the worst in state history. State forecasters say the drought began in 2005 and could last 15 years in all, according to Reuters. Wildfires continue to burn, and crop and rangeland is severely stressed throughout Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and surrounding areas of neighboring states.

The drought has already been labeled more severe than the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, though not yet as long in duration.

The animation below, also from the U.S. Drought Monitor, shows how the drought has spread over the past 12 weeks.