U.S. drought worsens even as intense storms increase

About two‑thirds of the United States is in some stage of drought in late spring 2026, even as the country experiences more intense downpours. Researchers explain that a warming climate intensifies the water cycle: heavier storms deliver rain faster than soils can absorb it, leading to runoff and flooding, while higher temperatures accelerate evaporation and transpiration.

Hydrologists at UMass Amherst and scientists at Harvard Forest report that high‑intensity events now account for roughly 42% of total precipitation in the Northeast, depositing large amounts of water in shallow ground layers that quickly drain. The combination of rapid runoff and faster evapotranspiration leaves deeper soils and aquifers depleted, deepening drought conditions despite overall higher annual rainfall.