According to the May 27, 2025 U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), moderate to exceptional drought covers 26.1% of the United States including Puerto Rico, down from 31.0% on the April 29 map. The worst drought categories (extreme to exceptional drought) decreased from 7.8% last month to 6.9%.
The USDM reported reductions or improvements in drought and abnormal dryness across large portions of the Plains, Northeast, and Southeast, as well as in parts of the Southwest, from April 29 to May 27. Conversely, drought expanded or intensified in parts of the West, the central Plains, the Midwest, and Hawaii during the month.
Approximately 80.7 million people are currently living in drought-affected areas, a monthly decrease of 16.1 million people. As of May 29, abnormal dryness and drought are affecting over 127 million people across the United States including Puerto Rico—about 41.0% of the population.
The full U.S. Drought Monitor weekly update is available from Drought.gov.
In addition to Drought.gov, you can find further information on the current drought on this week’s Drought Monitor update at the National Drought Mitigation Center.
Take a look at the most recent U.S. Drought Outlook. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s World Agriculture Outlook Board also provides information about the drought’s influence on crops and livestock.
For additional drought information, follow #DroughtMonitor on Facebook and X.
