On average, drought is one of the most costly natural hazards in
the United States each year. Given the significant socioeconomic
impacts of drought, the U.S. Drought Monitor was developed in
1999 to operationally assess the spatial extent and intensity of
dryness across the United States. The U.S. Drought Monitor is a
collaborative effort between Federal and academic partners,
including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Produced on a weekly basis,
the U.S. Drought Monitor is a synthesis of multiple indices,
outlooks, and impacts depicted on a map and in narrative form.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is released each Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
Eastern Time. In the spring of 2002, drought experts from the
U.S., Canada, and Mexico met to discuss the development of a
North American Drought Monitor. Issued monthly since March 2003,
the North American Drought Monitor is based on the end-of-month
U.S. Drought Monitor a