the flip side of desertification is flooding... flash flooding.
central texas gets ~490mm of rain (19 inches) in 24 hours.
that's more than many areas of the "wet" PNW have EVER recorded in 24h:
The bit in the smith guide about "nauseating rock... struggle up chimney fighting off pigeons... this route is only climbed by beginners armed with racks of hexes and triple-length slings"