Alert in Puerto Rico: Extreme drought doubles and hits a large part of the territory
The climate situation in Puerto Rico has taken a worrying turn. In just seven days, the extent of extreme drought on the island has nearly doubled, currently reaching 33.31% of its territory. This was revealed by the most recent update from the United States Drought Monitor, which confirms an accelerated deterioration of environmental conditions, mainly in the eastern, southern, and southwestern areas.
This phenomenon has begun to have tangible repercussions on the daily lives of Puerto Ricans, manifesting in critical water flow levels and the implementation of drinking water rationing measures in various communities.
A worrying outlook: More than 82% affected
When analyzing the big picture, the figure is alarming: 82.91% of the island presents some degree of dryness or drought. The progression of the D3 category (extreme drought) has been the most notable, climbing 16.29 percentage points compared to the previous week, when it barely covered 17.02% of the territory.
- Extreme drought (D3): 33.31% of the territory.
- Severe drought (D2): 29.55% of the territory.
- Moderate drought (D1): 10.52% of the territory.
- Abnormally dry (D0): 9.52% of the territory.
Municipalities under maximum pressure
The intensity of the extreme drought is total in several municipalities, where the lack of rainfall has exposed the fragility of the water supply. Among the localities that face their entire territory under the D3 classification are:
- Vieques and Culebra
- Guánica, Santa Isabel and Salinas
- Humacao, Las Piedras, Juncos and Naguabo
- Ceiba, Gurabo, Fajardo and Luquillo
The lack of constant rainfall over the last few months has been the main driver of this crisis, causing areas that previously experienced severe drought to have unfortunately transitioned into the extreme category.
Impact on daily life and production
The consequences of this phenomenon go far beyond water scarcity. Agriculture and livestock are highly vulnerable sectors, facing risks such as crop loss, lack of fodder for livestock, and a critical depletion of aquifers. On a social level, this could lead to changes in school schedules, interruptions in commercial services, and increased pressure to conserve water resources.
Although the moderate and severe drought categories showed a slight percentage decrease, the experts at Alofoke Deportes point out that this does not represent a real improvement, but rather a transition to levels of greater intensity. Vigilance remains strict as Puerto Rico faces one of its most water-stressed periods in recent times.
