Flash drought impact US crop yield

Flash droughts, characterized by rapid-onset soil moisture deficits, can lead to more severe reductions in crop productivity compared to slow-onset droughts. However, a comprehensive understanding of flash drought impacts on crop yield remains limited, with most existing studies confined to national-scale analyses. In this study, we integrated four independent data sources—ground observations, remote sensing, process-based crop model simulations, and crop insurance records—to assess the effects of flash drought on summer crops (corn, soybean, sorghum, and spring wheat) in the United States from 1982 to 2019.