States Being Slammed by Drought

By Sam Stebbins  •  March 19, 2026
a plant sprouts out of the mud in the desert
Photo by Carlett Badenhorst on Unsplash

The United States is facing some of the worst drought conditions in decades. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 77% of the country are reporting abnormally dry conditions or worse. The sweeping drought, which spans approximately 2.9 million square miles, came after the Lower 48 recently emerged from its fifth driest winter in at least 131 years, with 27% less precipitation than average. 

Depending on the severity, droughts can lead to crop failures, loss of grazing pasture, restrictions on water usage, reduced water quality, damage to natural ecosystems, and impassable commercial shipping channels. But one of the most hazardous, and most common, consequences of droughts in the U.S. are wildfires. 

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there were 77,850 wildfires nationwide last year that consumed over 5.1 million acres. These fires include the LA Wildfires of January 2025, which burned tens of thousands of acres in Los Angeles County, killed 31 people, and caused over $61 billion in damage. Notably, these fires – which now stand as the most destructive since at least 1980 – occurred during a month when virtually all of LA County was either in a severe or extreme drought. 

This year, drought conditions may already be contributing to more frequent and more intense wildfires. Between January 1 and early March, there have been over 9,850 wildfires nationwide – 1,850 more than were reported over the same period in 2025. These fires have already burned over 474,700 acres, nearly triple the land area burned by this time last year. 

Using data from the U.S. Drought Monitor, Climate Crisis 247 identified the states that are currently being hit hardest by drought. We ranked states on the share of land area reporting severe, extreme, or exceptional drought – the three highest drought classifications – as of March 10, 2026. Supplemental data on statewide precipitation between December 1, 2025 and Feb. 28, 2026, are from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Additional wildfire data is from the National Interagency Fire Center. 

Among the 10 states on this list, the share of land area in a severe, extreme, or exceptional drought ranges from about 43% to over 90%. Several of these states have also had recent or ongoing wildfires, some of which have consumed hundreds, or even thousands of acres. In the states on this list that typically rely on snowmelt to replenish water supplies, the spring thaw will likely offer little relief, as every state on this list reported far lower-than-average precipitation volume this past winter. 

10. New Hampshire

  • Share of state in a severe drought or worse: 42.8%
  • Total area in severe drought or worse: approx. 3,999 sq. mi.
  • Total precipitation in winter 2025-2026: 7.1 inches (8th driest winter in at least 131 years)
  • Largest recent or active wildfire in state: None
  • Total wildfires in 2025: 157 fires; 146 acres burned

9. Utah

  • Share of state in a severe drought or worse: 44.8% (incl. 4.8% in extreme drought)
  • Total area in severe drought or worse: approx. 38,051 sq. mi. (incl. 4,101 sq. mi. in extreme drought)
  • Total precipitation in winter 2025-2026: 2.7 inches (33rd driest winter in at least 131 years)
  • Largest recent or active wildfire in state: None
  • Total wildfires in 2025: 1,093 fires; 159,310 acres burned

8. Louisiana

  • Share of state in a severe drought or worse: 47.0% (incl. 11.3% in extreme drought)
  • Total area in severe drought or worse: approx. 24,639 sq. mi. (incl. 5,924 sq. mi. in extreme drought)
  • Total precipitation in winter 2025-2026: 9.5 inches (11th driest winter in at least 131 years)
  • Largest recent or active wildfire in state: Hunters Club Fire, 7 miles southwest of Bogalusa, LA – 615 acres burned
  • Total wildfires in 2025: 861 fires; 13,229 acres burned
a view of a desert landscape from a distance
Photo by Desert Rose on Unsplash

7. Texas

  • Share of state in a severe drought or worse: 49.6% (incl. 16.3% in extreme drought, 3.1% in exceptional drought)
  • Total area in severe drought or worse: approx. 133,304 sq. mi. (incl. 43,647 sq. mi. in extreme drought, 8,273 sq. mi. in exceptional drought)
  • Total precipitation in winter 2025-2026: 2.1 inches (5th driest winter in at least 131 years)
  • Largest recent or active wildfire in state: Cabin Creek Fire, 3 miles east of Lefors, TX – 6,949 acres burned
  • Total wildfires in 2025: 5,839 fires; 146,246 acres burned

6. Maine

  • Share of state in a severe drought or worse: 53.9% (incl. 1.2% in extreme drought)
  • Total area in severe drought or worse: approx. 19,052 sq. mi. (incl. 439 sq. mi. in extreme drought)
  • Total precipitation in winter 2025-2026: 6.5 inches (5th driest winter in at least 131 years)
  • Largest recent or active wildfire in state: None
  • Total wildfires in 2025: 856 fires; 515 acres burned

5. South Carolina

  • Share of state in a severe drought or worse: 57.4% (incl. 12.3% in extreme drought)
  • Total area in severe drought or worse: approx. 18,370 sq. mi. (incl. 3,929 sq. mi. in extreme drought)
  • Total precipitation in winter 2025-2026: 7.1 inches (16th driest winter in at least 131 years)
  • Largest recent or active wildfire in state: Yellowjacket Fire – 120 acres burned
  • Total wildfires in 2025: 71 fires; 760 acres burned

4. North Carolina

  • Share of state in a severe drought or worse: 70.2% (incl. 4.3% in extreme drought)
  • Total area in severe drought or worse: approx. 37,759 sq. mi. (incl. 2,287 sq. mi. in extreme drought)
  • Total precipitation in winter 2025-2026: 7.0 inches (8th driest winter in at least 131 years)
  • Largest recent or active wildfire in state: East Tower Fire – 1,410 acres burned
  • Total wildfires in 2025: 6,925 fires; 42,253 acres burned

3. Arkansas

  • Share of state in a severe drought or worse: 70.9% (incl. 30.3% in extreme drought, 2.8% in exceptional drought)
  • Total area in severe drought or worse: approx. 37,693 sq. mi. (incl. 16,113 sq. mi. in extreme drought, 1,500 sq. mi. in exceptional drought)
  • Total precipitation in winter 2025-2026: 4.6 in (2nd driest winter in at least 131 years)
  • Largest recent or active wildfire in state: None
  • Total wildfires in 2025: 194 fires; 6,693 acres burned

2. Georgia

  • Share of state in a severe drought or worse: 81.7% (incl. 38.1% in extreme drought)
  • Total area in severe drought or worse: approx. 48,532 sq. mi. (incl. 22,611 sq. mi. in extreme drought)
  • Total precipitation in winter 2025-2026: 8.2 inches (10 driest winter in at least 131 years)
  • Largest recent or active wildfire in state: Paul Murphy Fire, 4 miles southwest of Moultrie, GA – 368 acres burned
  • Total wildfires in 2025: 4,048 fires; 30,688 acres burned

1. Florida

  • Share of state in a severe drought or worse: 90.9% (incl. 72.9% in extreme drought)
  • Total area in severe drought or worse: approx. 59,774 sq. mi. (incl. 47,938 sq. mi. in extreme drought)
  • Total precipitation in winter 2025-2026: 5.1 inches (14th driest winter in at least 131 years)
  • Largest recent or active wildfire in state: Savannah Fire, 25 miles south of Sumatra, FL – 1,930 acres burned
  • Total wildfires in 2025: 3,704 fires; 233,642 acres burned


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