The New Normal?

Travis Miller is a professor at Texas A&M's AgriLife Extension Service.  He is interviewed in the July 17, 2011 issue of The Dallas Morning News (Drought pain shared by us all).  He had the following comments regarding the current Texas drought:

"This is a record drought.  In our weather records for the last 116 years, we're only seen two of similar extent and severity. 

But I don't think drought is the new normal.  Witness the fact that this one is the third in severity behind 1956 and 1918.  We're experiencing a great deal of climate variability.  Drought was a major issue in 1996, 1998, 2006, 2009 and 2011, but we were very wet in 2007 and , at least quite a bit of the state, in 2010.  If you look at drought from a historical perspective, this variability is not exceptional.

What's important for Texas is a serious focus on developing water resources and a water conservation ethic, enhanced research into how commodities and production systems can use water efficiently and resist droughts, and remaining committed to a safety net for ag producers."