Map released: Thurs. January 15, 2026
Data valid: January 13, 2026 at 7 a.m. EST

Intensity

  • None
  • D0 (Abnormally Dry)
  • D1 (Moderate Drought)
  • D2 (Severe Drought)
  • D3 (Extreme Drought)
  • D4 (Exceptional Drought)
  • No Data

Authors

United States and Puerto Rico Author(s):

Pacific Islands and Virgin Islands Author(s):

The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions. Local conditions may vary. See accompanying text summary for forecast statements.

Statistics

Statistics type ?
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Week Date None D0-D4 D1-D4 D2-D4 D3-D4 D4 DSCI

Estimated Population in Drought Areas:

Caribbean Drought Summary

For Puerto Rico, abnormally dry conditions were improved this week in the areas that received the most rain and the indicators improved.

This week, rainfall in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) was light to moderate, primarily due to brief trade-wind showers. The region is currently in its dry season, when the subtropical high and strong trade winds keep rainfall low and sporadic.

St. Croix experienced scattered light rain this week. The totals reported were 1.54 inches at VI-SC-10 (Christiansted 1.6 E) and 1.58 inches at VI-SC-20 (Frederiksted 1.7 ESE). VI-SC-30 (Christiansted 1.7 SW) received 0.88 inches, while VI-SC-35 (Frederiksted 1.3 ENE) reported 0.82 inches. Additionally, VI-SC-23 (Christiansted 6.5 W) recorded 0.41 inches, and VI-SC-34 (Frederiksted 1.9 NE) received 0.57 inches of rainfall. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) values for East Hill over the past 1 to 12 months ranged from -0.1 to -1.13, indicating conditions from normal to short-term abnormally dry. In contrast, the 3- to 9-month SPI values for Christiansted Hamilton indicate that the western parts of St. Croix are experiencing drought conditions. As of January 13, 2026, the water level at Adventure 28 Well in St. Croix, USVI, is recorded at 19.04 feet. This marks an increase from 18.98 feet in the previous week. Additionally, this level is higher than it was on the same date last year, January 23, 2025, when it was 16.04 feet. These observations indicate that St. Croix is still experiencing abnormally dry conditions.

This week, Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas recorded 0.24 inches of rainfall. The one-month SPI for the airport, which was -1.72 as of January 8, 2026, indicates that conditions are drier than normal. Additionally, the rainfall totals for VI-ST-13 (Charlotte Amalie, 1.2 NNW) and VI-ST-15 (Charlotte Amalie West, 1.3 N) were 0.73 inches and 0.50 inches, respectively, with one day of data missing for the latter. The depth to the water level below the land surface at the Grade School 3 well in St. Thomas, USVI, has been steadily increasing since mid-October 2025. On January 13, 2026, the water level reached 7.66 feet, up from last week's 7.50 feet. This persistent increase in the depth of the water level below the land surface indicates the island is in moderate drought conditions.

Similarly, St. John recorded low rainfall, with only 0.57 inches reported at VI-SJ-3 (Windswept Beach). In addition, VI-SJ-5 (Cruz Bay 1.6 E) received only 0.08 inches this week. The depth to the water level below the land surface at the Grade School 3 well in St. Thomas, USVI, has been increasing since mid-October. As of January 13, 2026, the water level was recorded at 7.66 feet, up from last week’s 7.50 feet. This rise in water depth indicates that the island is currently experiencing moderate drought.

Full Summary

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