Drought Conditions Affecting All US States Except Alaska and Kentucky, Greatest Number on Record

Droughts spread for the fourth week in a row in late October, bringing the number of states experiencing “Moderate Drought” or worse to 48.

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Droughts spread rapidly across the US last month, affecting an unprecedented number of states.

Little over 45% of the country and some 54% of the land in the lower 48 states are in a drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), which updates its data every Thursday. This represents an 81% rise since the week prior (16-22 October) and a 71.8% rise compared to September.

The number of people affected grew by 153.5% from September, reaching 150.3 million people countrywide.

“The U.S. saw a huge expansion of drought for the fourth week in a row. Conditions worsened in every state from the Plains to the East. Drought is present in every U.S. state except Alaska and Kentucky,” the latest bulletin read. It added that this was “the greatest number of states in drought in U.S. Drought Monitor history.”

The US Drought Monitor classifies droughts into five categories: Abnormally Dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought (D1-D4). 48 states are currently experiencing “Moderate Drought” or worse.

A drought refers to a period of abnormally dry weather long enough to affect water resources and availability. While droughts can occur naturally, human activities including water use and management, as well as climate change-driven heatwaves and prolonged wildfire seasons have worsened dry conditions, allowing droughts to occur more frequently and for longer periods. 

In particular, rising temperatures, driven primarily by the burning of fossil fuels, are altering the water cycle in many areas of the world, leading to higher evaporation rates which dries out soils faster, intensifying droughts.

This summer, the hottest on record globally, was the fourth-warmest for the US. Arizona, California, Florida, Maine and New Hampshire all sizzled through their warmest summer in history.

In the Southeast, a lack of rain throughout October led to the expansion of dry conditions, including in some areas that recently received substantial rainfall from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, according to a November 1 bulletin. Some areas did not receive any rainfall last month, marking the driest month since records began in the late 1800s.

Drought conditions also expanded across the Midwest, affecting more than half of the region, and are expected to persist through winter. Soil moisture was below-normal while streamflow, lake levels and pond stocks were all reduced.

Droughts also have a significant impact on agriculture, affecting pastures and planting cycles and increasing the risk of fires. An estimated 318.6 million acres of major crops in the US are currently experiencing drought conditions.

You might also like: US Drought: Causes, Effects and Solutions

Global Issue

Last month, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that planet’s water resources are under enormous strain from climate change, as demonstrated by the many hydrological anomalies recorded worldwide last year.

2023 was the driest year for rivers in 33 years, with exceptional drought conditions affecting large territories of North, Central, and South America. The Mississippi – North America’s longest river – and the Amazon River – the world’s largest river by discharge volume of water – both recorded record-low water levels.

According to the UN, at least 1.84 billion people – nearly one in four people worldwide – across five continents experienced drought conditions in 2022 and 2023. If no action is taken, it is estimated that 700 million people will be at risk of being displaced by drought by 2030, and one in four children will live in areas with extreme water shortages by 2040. By the mid-century, more than 75% of the world’s population will be affected by droughts with an estimated 4.8-5.7 billion living in areas that are water-scarce for at least one month each year.