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Severe drought conditions have expanded eastward into parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, according to the National Weather Service office in Miami and the latest U.S. Drought Monitor.
Drought intensity is separated into five categories — abnormally dry, moderate drought, severe drought, extreme drought and exceptional drought. "Coastal and metro areas" of Palm Beach County are abnormally dry, while coastal and parts of metro Miami-Dade and Broward Counties are under moderate drought, according to the NWS.
"Western metro Broward" and western metro areas in Miami-Dade are under severe drought, while far western parts of Miami-Dade and Broward are under extreme drought. None of South Florida is considered to be under exceptional drought.
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About 15.5 million Florida residents are in areas of drought, according to Drought.gov., and this past June was the 19th driest on record since 1895.
Drought has put pressure on Everglades species, extended wildfire season
Florida’s long-running drought has placed further pressure on imperiled species in the Everglades, including some of its many wading birds.
Shauna Sayers, a wading bird research specialist with the National Audubon Society, helps monitor populations of birds throughout Florida Bay, a shallow lagoon partially located within Everglades National Park. Sayers’s team tracks roseate spoonbills, among other birds, and said that they’re indicator species — “if they’re doing poorly, the Everglades is also doing poorly."
Sayers said that changes to freshwater flow in the Everglades are reflected in the plants and animals that depend upon abundant sources, and that the prolonged dry period the region she monitored suffered resulted in the “loss of small prey fishes.”
The drought has also extended Florida's wildfire season, with “dangerous" conditions expected to last beyond the state's typical dry period, according to the Florida Forest Service.
“While drought-like conditions have plagued the state since late 2025, Florida’s peak wildfire season usually encompasses April, May, and June,” reads a post by the Florida Forest Service. The agency wrote that, based on outlooks released by the National Interagency Fire Center, Florida is expected to “see more above-average wildfire potential in July and even August.”
Since the beginning of the year, 41,236 fires have burned over 3.9 million acres nationwide, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. In Florida alone, more than 2,600 wildfires have started since January, cumulatively burning over 175,000 acres. The drought in the state, one of the worst in years, has acted as a contributing factor.
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Severe drought conditions expand further into Miami-Dade, Broward
