Potential 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.
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.
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.To submit observations about current drought conditions, please submit a Condition Monitoring Observer Report.
| Category | Impact |
|---|
| D0 | Fire danger increases |
| D1 | Forage crops are stunted |
| River levels decline |
| More wildfires occur than normal |
| D2 | Crops are negatively impacted; some crops are not planted; hay yield is low; farmers begin feeding cattle early |
| Burn bans begin |
| Reservoirs decline; rivers are very low; rivers are dredged |
| D3 | Pastures are depleted; hay is short; cattle are sold |
| There are more insects than normal; trees show drought stress; wildlife seek food and water |
| Water shortages are noted; water table is low; stock ponds are dry |
| There is not enough water to fight fires |
| D4 | Crops have little or no yield; cattle weights are low; milk production is low |
| Trees and wildlife are dying |
| Daily life is impacted for outdoor workers |
| Voluntary water conservation is implemented; water is expensive |