Current Impacts
To see or report current drought impacts, please visit the Drought Impacts Toolkit, where you can find impacts from media in the Drought Impact Reporter, and from citizen scientists and other volunteer observers under Condition Monitoring Observations.
Historic Impacts
No two states experience the same set of impacts during a drought. We developed tables of impacts reported during past droughts in each state for each level of drought on the U.S.Drought Monitor. These state-specific possible impacts complement the general, national possible impacts column of the U.S.Drought Monitor Classification Scheme.
The drought impact tables displayed for the state of Alaska will be developed through a different methodology then those for the rest of the states. Alaska tables will be regional to include at a minimum the Southeast Alaska (temperate rainforest), South Central Alaska (cool, moist Mediterranean) and Interior Alaska (arctic) regions. They are based on a series of workshops held in Alaska and on expert opinion. The SE Alaska table is the first to be made available and others will come online as they are completed. These tables represent a starting point in our understanding of drought impacts in Alaska and will be updated as new information becomes available.
Southeast
| Category | Historically observed impacts |
|---|
| D0 | Some lingering water deficits |
| Hydropower conservation efforts to mitigate economic impacts |
| D1 | Reservoirs/hydropower limitations; wells low; water shortages imminent (voluntary water-use restrictions) |
| Recreation and fish migrations affected by low stream |
| Increased threat to forest health (pest/insect) |
| Fish hatcheries affected, increased wildlife interactions |
| D2 | Drinking water shortages common |
| Water-use restrictions imposed (seafood processing plants, watering plants) |
| Fish kills (low flow, high water temps) |
| Significant reduced hydropower generation |
| D3 | Widespread water shortages or restrictions |
| No hydropower generation |
| Widespread fish kills |
| Drought emergency declaration |
| D4 | Shortages of water in streams and wells creating water emergencies |
| Widespread no hydropower generation |
| Drought disaster declaration |
How well does this table describe drought impacts in your state for each level of drought on the U.S. Drought Monitor? Is anything missing? Please fill out this survey to help improve the table.