#49. New York

%2349.+New+York

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– Share of state experiencing drought conditions (20-year average): 8,721 sq. mi. (18.0% of land area); 4,174,482 people (21.5% of population)

— Moderate drought: 2,294 sq. mi. (4.7% of land area); 1,802,762 people (9.3% of population)

— Severe drought: 477 sq. mi. (1.0% of land area); 501,351 people (2.6% of population)

— Extreme drought: 43 sq. mi. (0.1% of land area); 49,983 people (0.3% of population)

— Exceptional drought: zero sq. mi.; no people

Much of upstate New York is facing abnormally dry or drought conditions. Places like Syracuse and Jefferson and Lewis counties went into the summer of 2020 well below their average precipitation levels, and the area hasn’t seen significant improvement since.