The United States of Drought

Mapped: The United States of Drought

Drought is common in many parts of the U.S. throughout the year. Right now, arid conditions affect over 60 million people in America.

This visualization, created with Inigo Insurance, shows where drought is occurring and how severe it is as of August 2025. Data comes from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

What Is a Drought?

A drought is a prolonged period of below-average precipitation that results in a shortage of water. This shortage can deplete soil moisture, groundwater, rivers, and reservoirs, disrupting agriculture, ecosystems, and communities.

In the U.S., these events are tracked by the U.S. Drought Monitor, which classifies conditions into five categories: Abnormally Dry (D0), Moderate (D1), Severe (D2), Extreme (D3), and Exceptional (D4). These rankings are based on precipitation, soil moisture, streamflow, and observed impacts.

The Impact of Climate Change

Climate change is intensifying drought by disrupting precipitation patterns and raising temperatures. Warmer air can hold more moisture, leading to more erratic rainfall—some regions face heavier downpours, while others endure prolonged dry spells. Higher temperatures also accelerate evaporation, further drying soils, rivers, and reservoirs.

These changes are making these events not only more frequent in certain regions but also more severe and long-lasting. The West and Southwest are especially at risk, with recent “megadrought” conditions linked to human-driven climate change. Hotter, drier conditions are placing mounting stress on water supplies, agriculture, and ecosystems.

Current Conditions

As of August 2025, arid conditions affected nearly 62 million people in America. The most impacted areas are in the western half of the country, with states such as Colorado, Arizona, and Idaho experiencing extreme drought.

Nationwide, almost 30% of the country faces moderate to extreme aridity. In the West—which includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming—66% of the region is affected. In the High Plains, 27% is experiencing drought.

Why it Matters

Aridity brings serious risks—reduced crop yields, water shortages, wildfires, and economic losses that ripple through communities. As climate change heightens these threats, resilience and risk management become critical.

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