Drought Information Statement for Southeast LA and Southwest MS Valid May 21, 2026 Issued By: NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge Contact Information: sr-lix.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated May 28, 2026 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/lix/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 1 U.S. Drought Monitor Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for SE Louisiana and SW Mississippi Additional improvements were noted this week as a fairly active weather pattern continues to bring much needed rain, Drought intensity and extent: D3 (Exceptional Drought): Small portion of Coastal Louisiana along the Gulf D2 (Severe Drought): Small portion of SW and Coastal Mississippi and Southeast Louisiana D0-D1 (Abnormally Dry to Moderate Drought): Parts of Southern Mississippi and areas near the Coastal Lakes Recent Change in Drought Intensity Link to the latest 4-week change map for SE Louisiana and SW Mississippi One Week Drought Monitor Class Change Drought Worsened (Yellows): No worsening conditions occurred. No Change (Gray): No changes in category this week. Drought Improved (Greens): Minor improvements were made across Coastal Mississippi and Southeast Louisiana Precipitation Active weather continues to bring rainfall across the region. While much of Southeast and Southern Mississippi has had plentiful rain, portions of Coastal Louisiana remains dry with less than 25% of average rainfall seen. Temperature Temperatures are beginning to warm as we move into late spring. Average temperatures are in the mid 70s However, we are still generally within a few degrees of normal for this time of year. Agricultural Impacts Soils moistures have gone from below normal to near or even above. Seasonal crops may have to contend with some saturated conditions instead of dry. Image Captions: Above: CPC Calculated Soil Moisture Ranking Percentile valid May 21, 2026 Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi are not outlooked for high wildfire danger during June. Caution should always be exercised when burning. To reduce the risk of wildfires, check with local officials before burning. Fire Hazard Impacts Link to Wildfire Potential Outlooks from the National Interagency Coordination Center. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Another soggy seven days are forecasted for the entire region as multiple weather systems move through. As much as 4-7 inches of rain could fall over the next several days across Southern Mississippi and the Florida Parishes. Unfortunately, the extremely dry Coastal areas may receive less. Monthly Temperature and Rainfall Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Looking ahead to the 1st month of summer, expectations for above normal temperatures continue. Only slightly above normal rainfall chances are expected for June. Summary of Impacts Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter Agricultural Impacts Crops could be adversely affected. Agricultural communities may have to depend on irrigation more heavily. Stock ponds could also be affected. Fire Hazard Impacts The wildfire threat has decreased across the SE Louisiana and Southern Mississippi. Always exercise caution if burning. Mitigation Actions None known at this time. Please refer to your municipality, water provider, and local Emergency Management for any mitigation information Other Information Please encourage use of the CMOR (link above) to report drought impacts. Public reports and information helps to assess the impacts of drought. A Drought Declaration Disaster has been declared for many Louisiana parishes and Mississippi counties. Other Information Please encourage use of the CMOR (link above) to report drought impacts For Questions or comments please contact: julie.lesko@noaa.gov