ABSTRACT
For the scientists involved, however, the research has proved to be capable of creating love/hate relationship with the subject. For the pre-drought period the report showed that atmospheric scientists and water resource professionals were aware that both states were 'drought-prone', having experienced and remembered the 1950s droughts. However, both states had experienced a large influx of new settlers since the 1950s who were less likely to have the same level of awareness of drought threats. In Texas, the drought began in the summer of 1982 and by 1984 had spread to the south central parts of the state. The state government asked for federal disaster assistance for some of the affected rural areas, but took no action itself on weather modification. When approached, however, the state government was not sympathetic, taking the view of its scientists that 'a drought was not a useful time to conduct a program at least given the meteorological conditions with which Texas was faced'.
