United States Drought Monitor

Drought Impacts by State

No two states experience the same set of impacts during a drought. We developed tables with drought impacts that have been reported in each state, for each U.S Drought Monitor (USDM) category, during the onset of a major drought.

This supplements and enhances the general nationwide information in the “Possible Impacts” column of the U.S. Drought Monitor Classification Scheme, describing what impacts may be associated with each level of drought.

Select a state to see which impacts correspond with the U.S. Drought Monitor categories.

Category	Impact
D0	Forage crops and pasture are stressed; producers feed livestock early
	Ground is hard
	Agriculture ponds and creeks begin to decline
D1	Cash crop growth and yield are low
	National forests implement campfire and firework bans
	Streams and ponds are low
	Fire activity increases
D2	Crops are damaged, especially dryland corn
	Burn bans begin
	Large cracks appear in foundations of homes
	Large surface water levels drop; agricultural ponds and streams have dried up
	Saltwater intrusion occurs in rivers and bays; saltwater wildlife migrate upstream
	Hydroelectric power decreases; navigation is limited
D3	Soybean pods shatter
	Large-scale hay shortages occur; producers sell livestock
	Wildfire count and fire danger continue to increase
	Landscape growth is stunted and needs irrigation; Christmas tree growth is stunted
	Ground has noticeable cracks; road damage has occurred
	Low flow in rivers and lakes affects recreation
	Water mains break daily in large municipalities; water conservation is implemented
	Air quality is poor
D4	Trees and shrubs are defoliated; grass is brown; landscaping projects are delayed
	Wildfire count is very high
	Lakes are extremely low; large municipalities implement water restrictions; water prices increase

How well does this table characterize drought impacts in your state? Think an impact is missing? Please fill out this survey to help improve the table.

Method

We linked impacts chronicled in the Drought Impact Reporter (DIR) (droughtreporter.unl.edu) with U.S. Drought Monitor severity levels and used a reproducible methodology to identify key themes. The table represents impacts observed during the emergence of one major drought since 2005 in each state or region. We used DIR data because it offers a methodologically consistent, longitudinal collection that spans major drought events. This is an evolving project. The impact tables can and should be updated in the future.

For more information, please contact us.


The U.S. Drought Monitor is produced through a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.