Overview

The Drought Impact Reporter is an online database that maps recorded drought impacts in the United States. The Drought Impact Reporter defines a drought impact as “an observable loss or change that occurred at a specific place or time because of drought.”

The Reporter maps the number of drought-related impacts down to the county level, and provides critical information detailing type, location, and extent of drought impact, along with relevant source information. Impacts are broken down into the following categories: agriculture, energy, plants and wildlife, society and public health, water supply and quality, business and industry, fire, tourism and recreation, and relief, response and restrictions.

Users can query more specific information by state, county, impact categories, time interval, cost, positive/negative impact, report source type, or through keywords, as well as submit their own impact report. In addition, drought impact information can be overlaid with other data sources, including the U.S. Drought Monitor, hydrologic unit codes, climate divisions, congressional districts, and risk management agency regions.

Along with collecting impacts, the Drought Impact Reporter also collects and maps published regional reports which may indicate the possibility of future drought impacts. For example, reports on county burn bans, water restrictions, and informational briefings from state and national agencies can be mapped as a unique layer to explore what areas may be expected to experience drought impacts in the near future.

The Drought Impact Reporter can be used by many user groups and sectors to understand historical and ongoing drought conditions and impacts, which can be useful in adaptation planning efforts.

Audience

Local/state/regional authorities, water utility managers, natural resource managers, farmers, public, scientists