Based on the timeline of the "Rain is outdoors..." thread (started April 2015) and historical Texas weather data, the thread documents several dramatic shifts between extreme drought and catastrophic flooding.
Here are the key years and events identified within the thread's lifespan:
1. 2015: The "Drought Breaker" (April May)
The thread was created on April 14, 2015, specifically to track the storms that finally ended the "20112015 Drought" (the second worst in Texas history).
* The Flood: May 2015 became the wettest month in Texas history.
* Key Event: The Memorial Day Floods (notably the Blanco River in Wimberley), which saw the river rise 33 feet in three hours.
* Forum Context: Early pages of the thread show users celebrating the "lake fillers" while expressing shock at the scale of the destruction.
2. 2016 2017: Record Rainfall & Hurricanes
* 2016 Floods: Major "Tax Day" floods (April) and Memorial Day floods hit Houston and East Texas for the second year in a row.
* 2017 (Hurricane Harvey): While the thread is for general "Rain," Harvey's massive rainfall (50+ inches in some areas) dominated the discussion in August 2017.
3. 2021 2023: The Return of Exceptional Drought
After several wet years, Texas entered a prolonged dry cycle.
* The Drought: Beginning in late 2021 and intensifying through 2022 and 2023, large swaths of Texas entered "Exceptional Drought" (D4).
* Forum Context: This is the period where the "Greedy" banter is most prevalent. Users in West Texas and the Hill Country post photos of dry lake beds and cracked earth, while coastal users occasionally report small "turd floaters" that miss the reservoirs.
4. 2024: Heavy Spring Flooding
* The Flood: April and May 2024 saw major federal disaster declarations across dozens of Texas counties (including Harris, Dallas, and Liberty) due to continuous severe storms and river flooding.
* Recovery: This period significantly helped refill many East and Central Texas lakes that had been depleted during the 202223 drought.
5. 2025: "Weather Whiplash" (Projected/Recent)
* Drought to Flood: Data indicates that early 2025 saw a continuation of drought in Central Texas, which was abruptly ended by a "1-in-1000 year" precipitation event in July 2025. This event caused major flash flooding in "Flash Flood Alley" (the Hill Country/Guadalupe River area).
Summary Timeline Table
| Year | Primary State | Key Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Flood | Ended 5-year drought; Wettest month in TX history (May). |
| 2016 | Flood | Tax Day and Memorial Day floods in Houston/East TX. |
| 2017 | Flood | Hurricane Harvey (Record coastal/Houston rain). |
| 2018-21 | Variable | Mix of normal and wet years; lakes mostly full. |
| 2022 | Drought | Severe agricultural losses; lake levels drop rapidly. |
| 2023 | Drought | Heat dome and extreme lack of rain across the state. |
| 2024 | Flood | Major spring storms; disaster declarations in 100+ counties. |
| 2025 | Whiplash | Exceptional drought followed by July 4th Hill Country floods. |
If you look at the middle pages of that thread (around page 100-150), you will see the tone shift from the "dust bowl" complaints of 2023 to the "enough is enough" flood reports of 2024.
