The share of Puerto Rico under drought conditions fell to 34.7 percent, a drop of 7 percentage points from the previous week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor report published Thursday, with data valid Tuesday, November 10. Severe drought shrank from 15.2 to 8.8 percent of the territory, a 6.4-point reduction from the November 3 report, and extreme drought has been absent for a second consecutive week.
Moderate drought edged down from 26.5 to 25.8 percent, a 0.7-point drop. Areas classed as abnormally dry rose from 10.0 to 15.8 percent, a 5.8-point increase; that class is not a drought category but flags dryness that can come before or after a drought. The updated map shows drought concentrated mainly in the south and central interior of Puerto Rico, with additional areas toward the east and northeast.
Severe drought appears mainly in a strip of the central interior and south, while moderate drought affects broader parts of those regions. No area is under extreme or exceptional drought, the two most intense categories. Compared with September 8, when 69.1 percent of the territory was in some drought category, the affected area has fallen 34.4 points.
Severe drought dropped from 18.3 to 8.8 percent in that period, and extreme drought, which covered 39.5 percent in early September, has disappeared. The Drought.gov report’s November outlook foresees improvement or removal of drought in various areas, though some sectors could see conditions persist. The seasonal outlook for October 31, 2026 to January 31, 2027 also projects improvement and possible elimination of drought in affected areas.