The Southern Plains Drought Assessment 2020-2025

This executive summary presents the key findings of NOAA Technical Report OAR-NIDIS-007, Southern Plains Drought Assessment 2020-2025. The Southern Plains Drought Early Warning System (DEWS), for the purposes of this document, primarily encompasses Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, with consideration of impacts on adjacent states: eastern New Mexico, western Louisiana, and Arkansas. This assessment was produced as a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the Southern Regional Climate Center (SRCC) in support of the NIDIS Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law No: 115-423). It examines the drought's development, progression, impacts to multiple sectors, and forecast model performance. The overarching goal of this document is to inform drought resilience and improve preparedness strategies for future events.