Water, water, nowhere

In contrast to the East Coast, which has had quite a wet summer (augmented substantially by Hurricane Irene), the Southern Plains can hardly buy a drop of water. Nearly all of Texas and Oklahoma are in exceptional drought. The city of Wichita Falls, TX (about 2 hrs drive northwest of Dallas) has only had 5.8" of rainfall this water year (which ends next month, 30 Sept), compared to the previous record-low rainfall of 14.47" (thanks, A. Culp, for pointing out that 14.47" is not the normal rainfall but instead the current [but likely to fall] record low rainfall).. That dry ground has got to be taking a toll on aquifers, not to mention cattle and people. Maybe the disturbance in the western Caribbean Sea this afternoon will work its way west and north without developing too much. The 12Z GFS takes it to the LA/TX border region in about 5 days, enough to give some drought relief to parts of the area.