South Central Texas still needs rain

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The severe drought in South Central Texas has only been moderately improved with recent rains, say weather experts.

Rainfall at San Antonio International Airport over the past year is only 46.8 percent of normal with nearby areas and a pocket around Austin remaining in severe drought, the San Antonio Express-News reported Tuesday.

"I don't think we've erased much of the drought, really," said Joe Baskin, a forecaster with the National Weather Service office.

From Sept. 1, 2007, through the end of August 2008, just 15.42 inches of rain fell at the San Antonio airport -- with 8.84 inches of that falling in the last two months of the period. That total compared with 55.35 inches for the same period in 2006-7. Overall, it marks the seventh driest period since rainfall record keeping started in San Antonio in 1871, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasts don't call for any rain in the short-term and the long-term outlook see rainfall still not up to average levels. Baskin said even Gustav might not be much help, if it stays east of the Colorado River as expected.