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 | Streamflow is low |
| D1 | Crops are stressed; farmers begin to conserve water |
| Fire danger increases |
| Reservoir levels decline; lake banks are exposed; streamflow continues to decrease |
| D2 | Planting is delayed; ranchers are feeding cattle; hay is scarce |
| Agriculture sector is suffering |
| Trees and plants show stress |
| Strict water rationing is implemented |
| D3 | Cattle have ittle feed; crops are dying |
| Daily lives are altered; school schedules are affected; businesses close |
| Mosquito-borne disease outbreak possible |
| Tree phenology altered |
| Water rationing expands; water is being trucked in; water quality is poor; aquifers are shrinking |
| D4 | Puerto Rico has had little or no experience in D4 so no impacts have been recorded at that level in the Drought Impact Reporter |