Axios Houston

December 05, 2022

🌞 Good day, sunshine! It's Monday.

🌤 Today's weather: High of 78 with a low of 67.

🌊 Sounds like: "Texas Flood," by Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Today's newsletter is 854 words — a 3-minute read.

1 big thing: Harris County no longer in a drought

Illustration of the Texas flag rotated 90 degrees, with water replacing the blue part. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Recent rains helped significantly reduce most of Southeast Texas' drought risk.

Driving the news: The U.S. Drought Monitor releases new data every week to show how different parts of the country are affected by varying levels of drought.

The big picture: Much of Harris and surrounding counties were labeled abnormally dry or in a drought until late November, but the Drought Monitor's new map from Thursday shows improvement across the region since Nov. 22.

Why it matters: The recent rain should bring some relief after months of dry conditions that were slowing crop production, increasing the risk of grass fires and drying up pastures for cattle.

Threat level: Before the week of Nov. 21, parts of Central Texas were in extreme drought, and the San Antonio area was experiencing exceptional drought conditions that accounted for lower honey production and burn bans.

Two maps showing drought conditions improving in Texas — Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

State of play: Most of the counties in Southeast Texas are no longer experiencing dryness or drought, and the state's most intense drought conditions are southwest of Austin, per the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Of note: November was a slightly abnormally wet month for Houston, according to the National Weather Service.

Houston received nearly 5 inches of rain in November, 1 inch more than normal.
Before that, however, the area received below-average rainfall, which invigorated drought conditions.
Heavy rains in North Texas also contributed to better conditions in Houston as water flowed south toward the Gulf of Mexico, according to ABC13.

What they're saying: The drought relief wasn't brought on by buckets of rain but rather more moisture being pushed into the area through weak cold fronts, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Bradley Brokamp.

"A lot of what we've seen and what we're going to see is not really an issue for us in terms of having rain, per se," Brokamp says. "Obviously [we've seen] a decent amount of showers, but nothing that's really helping us get heavy rainfall rates."

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2. More Texas hospitals at risk of closure

Illustration of a question mark with a dot shaped like a medical cross — Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

While the coronavirus pandemic often feels like it's in the rearview mirror, Texas hospitals are still grappling with its aftermath.

Driving the news: Nearly twice as many Texas hospitals, almost 1 in 10, are at risk of closure compared to before the pandemic, a new report from the Texas Hospital Association reveals.

The report, prepared for the association by consultant Kaufman Hall, says hospital revenue is no longer covering the cost of patient care.

What's happening: Expenses have increased, length of stay has risen, and patients are sicker than they were before the pandemic because of delayed care, according to the association's report.

In Texas, 26% of rural hospitals are at risk of closing, compared to 5% of urban facilities, the report found.
Meanwhile, Texas hospital operating margins remain under intense pressure, and — with additional support from the federal CARES Act set to expire — the association found that nearly half of the state's hospitals are reporting negative operating margins in 2022.

Of note: The report doesn't specify which hospitals are at risk of closure.

What they're saying: Texas Hospital Association CEO John Hawkins said larger hospitals in urban areas will be able to withstand those challenges, but it's possible that financial constraints could close service lines and pediatric space in urban areas.

"That financial strain, I think, ultimately does impact patient care," Hawkins told reporters Wednesday. "These operating challenges going forward are going to continue to be real for rural hospitals."

The bottom line: Hospital expenses have far outpaced revenue, with no relief in sight, and the stability of the state's health care safety net remains "severely threatened," the report found.

3. Bayou Buzz

Illustration of an armadillo holding a taco. — Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

🚔 Police have arrested two individuals in connection with the fatal shooting of Migos rapper Takeoff, who was killed on Nov. 1 outside of a bowling alley in downtown Houston. (Axios)

⛪ Hundreds of Texas Methodist churches voted to split from the denomination after years of infighting over gay marriage and abortion. The churches that are leaving have been frustrated that the church has taken positions they feel are too liberal. (Texas Tribune)

🎮 Hobby Airport is now one of the first airports in the country to offer a premium video game lounge. Inside the international terminal, early travelers can utilize the Gameway luxury gaming station, which includes six Xbox stations, five PlayStation stations and four PC stations. (InnovationMap)