Much of the western half of the United States is facing unusually acute droughts this summer. Almost 50% of the country is facing at least abnormal dryness as of July 27. There is exceptional drought in 7.4% of the nation, down from recent highs of 8.4% the week before and 8.6% on May 25. This is the most serious category classified by the government and can lead to broad crop and pasture loss, as well as water shortages.
The Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have collaborated to track and categorize droughts since 2000. The nation last recorded exceptional drought this widespread between June and October of 2011, when it affected 9% to 10% of the country for a total of 10 weeks. The extent of milder droughts this year is close to or greater than previous peaks.
