Spring Drought Threatens U.S. Crops – Worst on Record

Spring Drought Drives Record Crop Risk

The United States endured a historic spring drought last month, with ↓ 60% of the lower 48 states in moderate drought or worse, putting staple crops in jeopardy. Farmers from Kansas to Georgia report acreage cuts and soaring input costs.

Regional Hotspots and Soil Desiccation

The Southeast bore the brunt, where nearly ↓ 99.8% of the area faced moderate to exceptional dryness in April, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Heavy rain in Texas offered brief relief, yet Alabama, Georgia and north‑western Florida remain critically low on soil moisture and streamflow. NOAA confirmed that January‑March precipitation fell below 70% of the historical average, the driest quarter on record for the contiguous United States.

“We’ve never seen anything like this in my 58 years of planting,” veteran Virginia farmer Billy Bain told a local CBS affiliate.

Impact on Major Commodities

Wheat fields across the Great Plains are at a tipping point; the USDA projects the smallest wheat acreage since 1919. Meanwhile, vegetable growers in Georgia warn of reduced yields that could tighten supply chains already strained by fertilizer price spikes linked to the Iran conflict. Reuters notes that rising diesel costs—now over $5 per gallon for on‑road fuel—compound the financial squeeze on already water‑starved operations.

Wildfire Spillover into Wetlands

The drought has ignited fires in unexpected zones, including the Everglades, where NASA reports the most extensive drought since 2012. Florida officials label the season one of the worst in four decades, while Georgia’s governor declared a state of emergency across 91 counties, mobilizing the National Guard. AP News highlights that May 7 marked the first day since December 2025 without a new wildfire report in Georgia, underscoring the volatile shift in fire dynamics. Without immediate precipitation, the agricultural outlook remains bleak, and food‑price pressures could rise sharply.

Analysis by: Zara Blackwood

Rapid Response Intelligence Analyst