Drought Update for September 1, 2026
This Week's U.S. Drought Monitor Map of Alabama
Statewide Condition Summary
What's Changed? Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions expanded northward up the Mississippi border and also across the greater Montgomery area. 21% of D0 also worsened to Moderate Drought (D1), and a few spots of D1 across Southwest AL worsened further to Severe Drought (D2).
What's New? South and West Alabama are rapidly drying out, with some areas now more than 5 inches below normal rainfall over the last two months. Because winter and spring failed to properly replenish water levels, local streams are dropping quickly and signal worsening drought conditions.
What's Next? Forecasts only show meaningful rainfall across the Florida panhandle, so expect many conditions to remain the same or worsen.
Statewide Coverage by Category
| Category | Coverage This Week | Changes Since Last Week |
|---|---|---|
| D0: Abnormally Dry | 38.70% | 3.55% |
| D1: Moderate Drought | 26.45% | 20.69% |
| D2: Severe Drought | 1.54% | 1.54% |
| D3: Extreme Drought | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| D4: Exceptional Drought | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Source: US Drought Monitor, authored by Curtis Riganti (National Drought Mitigation Center) with input from the Alabama Office of the State Climatologist
Drought conditions across Alabama are continuing to expand and intensify, with South and West areas rapidly drying out after falling more than 5 inches below normal rainfall over the last two months. Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions have crept northward along the Mississippi border and into the Montgomery region, while nearly 27% of the state is now in Moderate Drought (D1) and pockets of Southwest Alabama have escalated to Severe Drought (D2). Because poor winter and spring recharge left local streams dropping quickly, and with significant rainfall projected only for the Florida panhandle, expect dry conditions to persist or worsen in the coming week.
Download the Alabama Drought Update Graphic
Alabama Drought in the News
- Some Parts of Alabama are Finally Drought-Free Leigh Morgan with AL.com| June 2, 2026
Drought Resources
- Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs: Office of Water Resources
- Alabama Drought Reach: Auburn University Water Resources Center
- U.S. Drought Monitor for Alabama
- Alabama Drought.gov page
- NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)
- NIDIS Southeast Drought Early Warning System (DEWS)
- Report drought conditions with CMOR
- Report daily rainfall with CoCoRaHS
- Assessing drought in the United States