Severe droughts developing throughout the US are causing several states to impose water restrictions, as some American towns fear they will run out of water within weeks.
The US Drought Monitor, the nation’s weekly map showing where and how severe drought conditions are, has warned that the situation has already reached ‘extreme’ or ‘exceptional’ levels in the Southeast, South, Plains and in parts of the West.
Currently, the worst drought-stricken areas were reported in northern Florida, southern Georgia and Colorado, where conditions have reached the worst level of drought measured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
An ‘exceptional’ drought means there is currently widespread crop and pasture losses and shortages of water in reservoirs, streams and wells, creating water emergencies in these areas. More than eight percent of the US has reached this level.
Another 18 percent of the US has been suffering from ‘extreme’ drought conditions, including in large sections of the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Colorado, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming – leading to widespread water restrictions.
Parts of Arizona, including the small town of Kearny, have already warned residents that there may be no water flowing through local taps by July.
While the situation has already become dire, meteorologists said things are expected to get worse heading into the heart of summer.
Experts from AccuWeather have predicted that 12 states will experience severe droughts between June and August, further straining water supplies and causing wildfires to erupt throughout the West.
Pictured: the US drought monitor for April 30, 2026. Areas shaded in red and dark red show the most extreme areas affected by drought
Droughts throughout the South and Southeast have sparked massive wildfires this spring, burning thousands of acres before summer begins
Kearny resident Jerry Kaufhold told KPNX: ‘I’m wearing shirts twice, two days in a row just to cut my laundry in half.’
Meanwhile, in Colorado, multiple local municipalities have imposed limits on outdoor watering of grass, fining residents who water lawns between 10am and 6pm local time and requiring leaking pipes to be repaired within 10 days.
Other states cracking down on water usage as a hot and dry summer is expected to make water scarce are North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Texas and Florida.
In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency due to the ongoing drought. The state has seen the highest amount of land deemed to be in an ‘extreme’ drought since 2000.
In areas out west that rely on hydroelectric power generated by the Hoover Dam, including Nevada, Arizona and California, an extreme drought could threaten to severely cut available electricity.
Hoover Dam, which relies on the water from Lake Mead, is facing a potential 40-percent drop in power output by the fall due to the ongoing drought, record-low snowpack and new emergency water management plans.
In areas where water supplies are expected to be strained this year, local governments have asked Americans to stop washing their cars, avoid filling pools and take shorter showers.
AccuWeather predictions for 2026 have warned that Idaho, Montana and Nevada are also likely to see severe drought conditions develop heading into June.
Meteorologists expect the worst drought conditions to affect 12 states this summer
Severe drought conditions throughout the US have caused local governments to crack down on water usage as supplies run low (Stock Image)
AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said in a statement: ‘This summer will likely be remembered for weather extremes.’
‘Dangerous heat waves are likely in parts of the West and South. Storms and flash flooding may bring the biggest problems from the Plains to the Ohio Valley. Drought and wildfire risk will also be major concerns in the Northwest.’
While the droughts this summer will cause water emergencies throughout the South, forecasters believe that the greatest threat for wildfires will erupt along a massive stretch from the Colorado Rockies to the Pacific Northwest.
Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington state are all projected to be in the ‘extreme’ risk zone for wildfires this summer.
Overall, AccuWeather’s wildfire forecast for this year predicted a sharp rise in deadly blazes throughout the country, after a relatively quiet 2025 wildfire season.
Compared to the 5.1 million acres that burned down last year, experts have said that the total could reach as high as eight million acres in 2026, triggered by 65,000 to 80,000 fires throughout the US.
Pastelok explained in a statement: ‘Expanding drought, combined with heat, wind, and dry vegetation, is a dangerous combination.’
‘Even if the total number of fires across the country is lower than last year, that does not mean the overall risk is reduced. We expect hundreds of thousands, if not millions, more acres to burn this year.’
The waters of Lake Mead in Nevada dropped to historic low levels in 2022, threatening to halt electrical generation at the Hoover Dam at a future date (Stock Image)
Compared to last summer, the drought conditions may ease in the Southwest, particularly in Arizona, the southern half of Nevada and Southern California, where the forecast calls for wetter and more humid weather.
The same conditions are expected to bring more rainwater to the Carolina Coast and Virginia later this summer.
However, the weather is expected to be hotter, drier and see fewer thunderstorms than last year in the Pacific Northwest and Southeast.
NOAA has already warned farmers in Georgia and Florida that missing a week or more of rainfall will lead to soil drying out and dying faster.
‘Over 60 percent of the contiguous United States [is] currently experiencing drought conditions as of the April 7,’ NOAA stated in a recent report.
‘During the upcoming three-month period, below-average precipitation [is] favored for the Northwest, combined with much below-normal mountain snow cover will likely lead to drought persistence and expansion.’
