Historic Megadrought Grips Half of America as Climate Crisis Deepens

With more than 60% of the US experiencing drought and over 20% facing extreme conditions, the nation confronts a rare convergence of intensity and geographic scale unseen in decades. An atypical La Niña weather pattern combined with accelerating climate warming has created conditions that threaten critical water resources across the Southwest, Southeast, and mid-Atlantic regions. Summer relief is unlikely, signaling extended water scarcity challenges for agriculture, energy production, and municipal water supplies.