Extreme Drought Now Covers 44% of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico typically enters its wet season in May, but 2026 unfolded very differently. By late August, rainfall had remained scarce across much of the U.S. territory, allowing drought conditions to spread rapidly. The lack of rain has contributed to water shortages and rationing in some communities, prompting Puerto Rico's governor to declare a state of emergency in late July. In late August, the U.S. government also issued a drought disaster declaration covering more than two dozen cities and towns.

By August 25, 2026, about three-quarters of Puerto Rico was experiencing at least moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a collaboration involving the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA. Extreme drought zones in eastern and southwestern parts of the main island expanded during the previous week and covered 44% of the territory. Just three months earlier, none of Puerto Rico was classified as being in drought, and less than 20% of the territory was considered abnormally dry.

From mid-May through mid-July, most of Puerto Rico received less than 60% of its normal precipitation, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS); southern and southwestern areas received less than 20% of normal rainfall, a deficit of 3 to 6 inches (76 to 152 millimeters). High temperatures made the drying worse: San Juan experienced one of its warmest Julys on record, and river levels fell sharply, with streamflow reaching record lows in waterways including the Rio Fajardo in northeastern Puerto Rico.

The strain on water supplies has affected residents, farmers and ranchers, with water rationing in effect in several municipalities since early August. Dry soils have disrupted the growth of fruit and cacao trees as well as banana and coffee plants, contributing to crop losses, while ranchers are seeing their hay supplies dwindle. David Mocko, a senior research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and Jonathan Case of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center became the first NASA scientists to produce the U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly maps this year, using satellite estimates of soil moisture alongside weather and streamflow data.