Drought
Western/Central Drought and Heat Wave
Cost:$2.7B
Deaths:0 (temporary placeholder)
Drought affected numerous Western and Central states throughout 2026. It began as a snow drought early in the year, which deepened into hydrologic drought. The dry and hot conditions also worsened the Western wildfire season, with more than nine million acres burned nationwide so far this year. Intensity and extent have shifted across regions as the year progressed. As of early October, the most concentrated impacts stretch from southern Idaho through Colorado into Oklahoma. Numerous heat-related deaths are also associated with the series of record-hot heat waves. A fatality count from the extreme heat will be included in our end-of-year reporting.
