Puerto Rico Went From No Drought to Widespread Extreme Drought in Just Months

Puerto Rico went from no drought to widespread extreme drought in just months in 2026, after the rains that usually arrive with its wet season in May largely failed to appear through late August. The prolonged dry spell led to water shortages and rationing in some communities, prompting the territory's governor to declare a state of emergency in late July. In late August, the U.S. government approved a drought disaster declaration covering more than two dozen cities and towns.

A map dated August 25, 2026, from the U.S. Drought Monitor showed about three-quarters of Puerto Rico experiencing at least moderate drought. Extreme drought, concentrated in the eastern and southwestern parts of the main island, had expanded over the previous week to cover 44% of the territory. Just three months earlier, none of Puerto Rico was in drought and less than 20% was considered abnormally dry, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).

Between mid-May and mid-July, most of Puerto Rico received less than 60% of its normal rainfall, NIDIS said, with parts of the south and southwest getting below 20% of normal -- a deficit of 3 to 6 inches (76 to 152 millimeters). San Juan had one of its warmest Julys on record, and streamflow dropped to record lows in waterways including the Rio Fajardo in the northeast.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, which has published weekly maps since 1999, expanded its NASA role in 2026 when two NASA scientists, David Mocko of the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center and Jonathan Case of its Marshall Space Flight Center, joined the small group producing the weekly assessments. Water rationing has been in effect in several municipalities since early August, and dry soils have disrupted the growth of fruit trees, cacao, bananas and coffee, while ranchers report shrinking hay reserves for livestock.