National Drought Status

Drought.gov national page integrating updated information on the location, intensity, and evolution of drought across the United States and its territories. It presents the U.S. Drought Monitor, weekly and monthly changes, precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, vegetation, and streamflow conditions, as well as official drought outlooks. For the week of August 12-18, 2026, it reported that 44.34% of the United States and Puerto Rico and 52.70% of the contiguous United States were in drought; an estimated 93.1 million people were affected, and 42 states were experiencing Moderate Drought or worse. The resource supports monitoring of climate risks affecting water availability and quality, farms, ranches, grazing lands, and other natural resources.