#12. Montana

%2312.+Montana

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– Share of state experiencing drought conditions (20-year average): 74,545 sq. mi. (50.7% of land area); 514,251 people (52.0% of population)

— Moderate drought: 48,183 sq. mi. (32.8% of land area); 337,194 people (34.1% of population)

— Severe drought: 28,861 sq. mi. (19.6% of land area); 209,784 people (21.2% of population)

— Extreme drought: 12,055 sq. mi. (8.2% of land area); 93,381 people (9.4% of population)

— Exceptional drought: 1,536 sq. mi. (1.0% of land area); 8,648 people (0.9% of population)

Around 96% of Montana is categorized as abnormally dry, and parts of the state are experiencing water shortages and crop problems due to more-severe drought. A seemingly endless drought roiled Montana for 307 weeks between 2000 and 2006, abated briefly, then continued on for the rest of the decade. Things got really bad, however, in 2017, when more than a quarter of the state’s land was suffering exceptional drought conditions.

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