Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts. Every one the National Weather Service has filed, by year and by state, with the deadliest and costliest.
The deadliest and costliest on the map
The deadliest and costliest drought episodes on record.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 85,759
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 358
- Damage
- $31 billion
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Every year
Deaths each year
The deadliest
Deaths from this kind of event within each episode.
None recorded.
The costliest
Damage from this kind of event within each episode, in the dollars of its year.
- Drought in Iowa, July 1 to 31, 2012
- Drought in California, December 1 to 31, 2014
- Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 2011
- Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 2006
- Drought in Illinois, September 1 to 30, 2012
- Drought in Iowa, August 1 to 31, 2013
- Drought in Mississippi, June 1 to 30, 2007
- Drought in Iowa, August 1 to 31, 2003
- Drought in Iowa, August 1 to 23, 2001
- Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 2000
- Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 2012
- Drought in Oklahoma, July 6 to 31, 1998
- Drought in Pennsylvania, July 1 to 31, 1999
- Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 2011
- Drought in Nebraska, December 1 to 31, 2002
- Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 1998
- Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 2001
- Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 2012
- Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 2013
- Drought in Oklahoma, August 1 to 31, 2000
- Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 2013
- Drought in Georgia, September 1 to 30, 2007
- Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 2013
- Drought in Iowa, August 1 to 31, 2003
- Drought in Iowa, August 1 to 31, 2012
By state
| State or waters | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 18,588 | 0 | 0 | $13 billion |
| Oklahoma | 6,658 | 0 | 4 | $1.7 billion |
| New Mexico | 6,408 | 0 | 0 | $16 million |
| Georgia | 5,192 | 0 | 0 | $817 million |
| Nebraska | 3,444 | 0 | 0 | $1.2 billion |
| Colorado | 3,044 | 0 | 3 | |
| Kansas | 2,928 | 0 | 0 | $397 million |
| Alabama | 2,670 | 0 | 0 | $100,000 |
| Iowa | 2,602 | 0 | 0 | $6.0 billion |
| Missouri | 2,482 | 0 | 350 | $454 million |
| South Dakota | 2,012 | 0 | 0 | $750 million |
| Tennessee | 1,967 | 0 | 0 | $15 million |
| California | 1,870 | 0 | 0 | $1.5 billion |
| Arkansas | 1,837 | 0 | 0 | $9.7 million |
| Hawaii | 1,685 | 0 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| North Carolina | 1,652 | 0 | 0 | $97 million |
| Illinois | 1,586 | 0 | 0 | $1.5 billion |
| Florida | 1,514 | 0 | 0 | $100 million |
| Minnesota | 1,446 | 0 | 0 | $109 million |
| Wisconsin | 1,433 | 0 | 1 | $5.6 million |
| Louisiana | 1,418 | 0 | 0 | $628 million |
| Mississippi | 1,382 | 0 | 0 | $938 million |
| Kentucky | 1,021 | 0 | 0 | $272 million |
| Utah | 1,019 | 0 | 0 | |
| West Virginia | 922 | 0 | 0 | $23 million |
| New Jersey | 886 | 0 | 0 | $80 million |
| Virginia | 850 | 0 | 0 | $432 million |
| South Carolina | 831 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pennsylvania | 807 | 0 | 0 | $521 million |
| Montana | 798 | 0 | 0 | $990,000 |
| North Dakota | 677 | 0 | 0 | |
| Arizona | 633 | 0 | 0 | |
| Indiana | 546 | 0 | 0 | $88 million |
| Maine | 524 | 0 | 0 | $19 million |
| Maryland | 450 | 0 | 0 | $100 million |
| Ohio | 415 | 0 | 0 | $200 million |
| New York | 377 | 0 | 0 | $50 million |
| New Hampshire | 273 | 0 | 0 | $63 million |
| Massachusetts | 208 | 0 | 0 | |
| Delaware | 207 | 0 | 0 | $29 million |
| Guam | 145 | 0 | 0 | $508,000 |
| Connecticut | 73 | 0 | 0 | |
| Michigan | 54 | 0 | 0 | $150 million |
| Puerto Rico | 48 | 0 | 0 | $5.0 million |
| Washington | 40 | 0 | 0 | $12 million |
| Rhode Island | 34 | 0 | 0 | |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 24 | 0 | 0 | $200,000 |
| Vermont | 21 | 0 | 0 | |
| Idaho | 18 | 0 | 0 | |
| American Samoa | 17 | 0 | 0 | $50,000 |
| District of Columbia | 11 | 0 | 0 | $5,000 |
| Oregon | 7 | 0 | 0 | $23 million |
| Alaska | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wyoming | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Every kind of event
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Hail
- Flash Flood
- High Wind
- Winter Storm
- Drought
- Winter Weather
- Tornado
- Heavy Snow
- Flood
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind
- Heat
- Heavy Rain
- Strong Wind
- Excessive Heat
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Lightning
- Dense Fog
- Blizzard
- Frost/Freeze
- Ice Storm
- High Surf
- Funnel Cloud
- Wildfire
- Tropical Storm
- Waterspout
- Coastal Flood
- Lake-Effect Snow
- Debris Flow
- Hurricane (Typhoon)
- Dust Storm
- Rip Current
- Storm Surge/Tide
- Marine High Wind
- Sleet
- Avalanche
- Marine Hail
- Astronomical Low Tide
- Marine Tropical Storm
- Tropical Depression
- Freezing Fog
- Lakeshore Flood
- Dust Devil
- Marine Strong Wind
- Dense Smoke
- Marine Hurricane/Typhoon
- Volcanic Ashfall
- Seiche
- Sneakerwave
- Volcanic Ash
- Tsunami
- Marine Tropical Depression
- Marine Dense Fog
- Northern Lights
- Marine Lightning
- Hurricane
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.