Although Texas is better prepared for drought now than in the late 1900s, the state is less ready for a repeat of the drought of record—or worse—than it was back then. If that sounds counterintuitive, it’s because all droughts are not created equal.

Before the mid-nineties, two decades of cooler and wetter weather lulled Texas into complacency, turning the Dust Bowl and the Drought of the 1950s into hazy, distant memories. The drought of 1996, which fundamentally changed water planning through 1997’s Senate Bill 1, was almost comically mild compared to what Texas has been through since. But at the time, with only weeks of water left for several small communities, the drought was no laughing matter.

Read more from Dr. Robert Mace on Hotter than a Habanero here.