Water Around
Water Around Research

Water Around research

Where severe drought grew or shrank most in one year

Which counties had the largest change in the area covered by severe drought or worse between August 2025 and August 2026?

Study coverage
3,144 counties that appear in both weekly U.S. Drought Monitor maps
Effective period
2025-08-26 to 2026-08-25
Method
How this was calculated

For each county, subtract the earlier share of land in severe drought or worse (D2–D4) from the later share. Rank the size of the change in percentage points, whether drought grew or shrank. Ties are ordered by the county’s FIPS code.

Sources
U.S. Drought Monitor

Largest changes in severe drought area

D2 or greater includes severe, extreme and exceptional drought. Changes are measured in percentage points of county area: a rise from 20% to 30% is 10 percentage points (pp).

Largest changes in county area at D2 or greater; percentage points
  • Cochise · 04003
    -100 pp
  • Santa Cruz · 04023
    -100 pp
  • Benton · 05007
    100 pp
  • Los Angeles · 06037
    -100 pp
  • Orange · 06059
    -100 pp
  • San Diego · 06073
    -100 pp
  • Ventura · 06111
    -100 pp
  • Baca · 08009
    100 pp
Share of county area in D2 or greater drought: 2025-08-26 compared with 2026-08-25.
County / FIPSPriorCurrentChange
Cochise 04003100%0%-100 pp
Santa Cruz 04023100%0%-100 pp
Benton 050070%100%+100 pp
Los Angeles 06037100%0%-100 pp
Orange 06059100%0%-100 pp
San Diego 06073100%0%-100 pp
Ventura 06111100%0%-100 pp
Baca 080090%100%+100 pp
Bent 080110%100%+100 pp
Broomfield 080140%100%+100 pp
Crowley 080250%100%+100 pp
El Paso 080410%100%+100 pp
Kiowa 080610%100%+100 pp
Otero 080890%100%+100 pp
Prowers 080990%100%+100 pp
Pueblo 081010%100%+100 pp
Sedgwick 081150%100%+100 pp
Teller 081190%100%+100 pp
Weld 081230%100%+100 pp
Alachua 120010%100%+100 pp

Limitations

  • These percentages include severe, extreme and exceptional drought. They do not measure city conditions or water available for supply.
  • Drought can vary within a county; one county-wide percentage does not describe every location.