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Drought

Drought poses a serious threat to the resilience of communities and ecosystems in the U.S. USGS has developed a new coordinated and integrated drought science strategy that represents a new path forward towards understanding the complexity of drought issues, their impact on human and natural systems, and the opportunities to inform policy and decision-making for adaptation and mitigation.

Integrated Drought Science

Drought damage on the Fresno Harlen Ranch, California

Our drought science plan focuses on data collection and integration, understanding drought processes and impacts, and drought planning and decision support.

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Droughts: Things to Know

Empty water hole, Walnut Creek Ranch, CA

What is a drought?  What causes droughts? Why doesn't a drought go away when it rains? Get the answers to these questions and more.

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Looking for data?

Drought-related data catalogs and portals are listed below. If applicable, the links will pre-populate a search for drought on each site.

News

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Drought Watch Remains for 19 Counties, York County Moved to Drought Warning

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Tribal Engagement Series: Drought in the Colorado River Basin

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President Proposes Nearly $1.8 Billion for USGS Science in FY 2024

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Publications

A hydrologic perspective of major U.S. droughts

Drought is a recurring natural hazard that has substantial human and environmental impacts. Given continued global warming and associated climate change, there is concern that droughts could become more severe and longer lasting. To better monitor and understand drought development and persistence, it is helpful to understand the development and climatic drivers of past droughts. In this study we
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Gregory J. McCabe, David M. Wolock, Melissa Lombard, Robert W. Dudley, John Christopher Hammond, Jory Seth Hecht, Glenn A. Hodgkins, Carolyn G. Olson, Roy Sando, Caelan E. Simeone, Michael E. Wieczorek
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Water Resources Mission Area, Drought

Going beyond low flows: Streamflow drought deficit and duration illuminate distinct spatiotemporal drought patterns and trends in the U.S. during the last century

Streamflow drought is a recurring challenge, and understanding spatiotemporal patterns of past droughts is needed to manage future water resources. We examined regional patterns in streamflow drought metrics and compared these metrics to low flow timing and magnitude using long-term daily records for 555 minimally disturbed watersheds. For each streamgage, we calculated streamflow drought duration
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John C. Hammond, Caelan E. Simeone, Jory Seth Hecht, Glenn A. Hodgkins, Melissa Lombard, Gregory J. McCabe, David M. Wolock, Michael Wieczorek, Carolyn G Olson, Todd Caldwell, Robert W. Dudley, Adam N. Price
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Water Resources Mission Area, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, Nevada Water Science Center, New England Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Drought

Tree rings reveal unmatched 2nd century drought in the Colorado River Basin

The ongoing 22 year drought in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) has been extremely severe, even in the context of the longest available tree-ring reconstruction of annual flow at Lees Ferry, Arizona, dating back to 762 CE. While many southwestern drought assessments have been limited to the past 1200 years, longer paleorecords of moisture variability do exist for the UCRB. Here, gridded droug
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Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Connie Woodhouse, Gregory J. McCabe, Cody C. Routson, David Meko
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Water Resources Mission Area, Drought
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Science

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Image: Vegetation Drought

Drought Prediction Science

Drought is a prolonged and widespread deficit in available water supplies that creates multiple stressors across ecosystems and communities. The U.S. Geological Survey Water Mission Area conducts drought research and modeling to improve drought prediction capabilities. The research focus is on understanding the hydrological, ecological, and economic ramifications of drought. The modeling focus...
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Water Resources Mission Area, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Drought
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Drought Prediction Science

Drought is a prolonged and widespread deficit in available water supplies that creates multiple stressors across ecosystems and communities. The U.S. Geological Survey Water Mission Area conducts drought research and modeling to improve drought prediction capabilities. The research focus is on understanding the hydrological, ecological, and economic ramifications of drought. The modeling focus...
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Canyonlands National Park

Drylands are highly vulnerable to climate and land use changes: what ecosystem changes are in store?

Improper land use during drought has been a major driver of land degradation in drylands globally, especially in the western U.S. Increasing aridity in western U.S. drylands under future climates will exacerbate risks associated with drought and land use decisions. This project provides critical observational, experimental, and modelling evidence to support our DOI partners with decision processes...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Southwest Biological Science Center, Drought, Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection
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Drylands are highly vulnerable to climate and land use changes: what ecosystem changes are in store?

Improper land use during drought has been a major driver of land degradation in drylands globally, especially in the western U.S. Increasing aridity in western U.S. drylands under future climates will exacerbate risks associated with drought and land use decisions. This project provides critical observational, experimental, and modelling evidence to support our DOI partners with decision processes...
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FL_PR

Real-time and Historical Data

These pages provide access to water-resources data collected at approximately 1.9 million sites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Online access to this data is organized around the categories listed at the bottom. The USGS investigates the occurrence, quantity, quality...
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Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center (CFWSC), Drought
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Real-time and Historical Data

These pages provide access to water-resources data collected at approximately 1.9 million sites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Online access to this data is organized around the categories listed at the bottom. The USGS investigates the occurrence, quantity, quality...
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