Drought Information Statement for southeast Mississippi, southwest Alabama, and the western Florida Panhandle Valid: January 22, 2026 This product will be updated February 19, 2026 (or sooner) if drought conditions change significantly All currently available products: drought.gov/drought-information-statements (https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements) Previous local statements: weather.gov/mob/DroughtInformationStatement (https://www.weather.gov/mob/DroughtInformationStatement) Regional Drought Status Updates: https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates (https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates) DROUGHT CHANGES LITTLE OVER THE CENTRAL GULF COAST REGION Severe drought lingers for much of the eastern forecast area. Moderate drought persists over much of the remainder of the area. U.S. Drought Monitor Latest U.S. Drought Monitor (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/png/current/current_huc03_trd.png) for the Southeast US and central Gulf Coast Drought Intensity and Extent: D2 (Severe Drought): Along and east of a line from Pineapple to Monroeville to Brewton, Alabama to Ft. Walton Beach Florida. Small portions of interior southwest Alabama and interior southeast Mississippi. D1 (Moderate Drought): North of a line from Catherine to Thomasville to Silas Alabama. For much of the area south of a line from southeast Wilcox Co. Alabama to southern Perry Co. Mississippi. D0: (Abnormally Dry): The remainder of the local area. Recent Change in Drought Intensity Latest 1-week change map (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/chng/png/current/current_huc03_chng_1W.png) for the Southeast US and central Gulf Coast One Week Drought Monitor Class Change: No Change: Outside of spotty one class improvements or degradations, much of the local area saw no change. Precipitation Summary of conditions and impacts: Over the past month, the I-65 corridor southward to the much of the coast and into southern portions of interior southeast Mississippi has received below normal rainfall. The driest locations saw deficits 50% or less of normal rainfall. The only bright spot was a small portion of the northwest sections of the forecast area seeing above normal rainfall. Summary of Impacts See Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) (https://droughtimpacts.unl.edu/Tools/ConditionMonitoringObservations.aspx) and Drought Impacts Reporter (https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/46afe627bb60422f85944d70069c09cf) Hydrologic Impacts The US Geological Survey (USGS) indicates stages on nearly all local river and/or stream points are at much below normal levels with several points low. Rivers and streams that are experiencing low water levels, will likely result in what is typically deeply submerged objects being likely closer to the water’s surface or in some cases completely exposed, presenting a greatly increased waterway hazard for safe recreational boating and commercial navigation. Agricultural Impacts Crop condition in the driest of areas is very poor. Crop disease and insect damage elevated. Supplemental feeding is required to maintain livestock condition. Hardness of ground increases difficulty of plowing, resulting in a higher frequency of plow blades becoming dull adding to the expense for change outs. Fire Hazard Impacts In the event of strong cold frontal passages, periods of critically low daytime humidity in combination with gusty northerly winds will bring periods of increased wildfire potential. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged until conditions improve. Know the law before you burn. Mitigation Actions Water conservation techniques are strongly encouraged in drought areas. Please refer to your municipality and/or your water provider for mitigation information. Local water restriction ordinances may be in place. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Summary of conditions and impacts: Stages on nearly all local river and/or stream points are at much below normal levels with several points Low. Rivers and streams that are experiencing low water levels will likely result in what is typically deeply submerged objects being likely closer to the water’s surface or in some cases completely exposed. Waterway hazards are increased for safe recreational boating and commercial navigation. To view the most current stages and flow for each state’s, stream and river points, please visit: MS: https://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?r=ms&m=real (https://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?r=ms&m=real) AL: https://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?r=al&m=real (https://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?r=ms&m=real) FL: https://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?r=fl&m=real (https://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?r=ms&m=real) Agricultural Impacts Summary of conditions and impacts: Driest conditions are leading to poor crop health. Supplemental feeding likely required to maintain livestock. Hardness of ground increases difficulty of plowing, resulting in a higher frequency of plow blades becoming dull adding to the expense for change outs. It is recommended that farmers reach out to local USDA office for details on available funding assistance. Fire Hazard Impacts Summary of conditions and impacts: It’s important to note that in the event of strong cold frontal passages, periods of critically low daytime humidity in combination with gusty northerly winds will bring periods of increased wildfire potential. Above normal risk of wildland fire potential remains over the southeast into February. Know the law before burning. Latest Burn Bans and/or Advisories By State: Mississippi: https://www.mfc.ms.gov/ (https://www.mfc.ms.gov/) Alabama: https://forestry.alabama.gov/ (https://forestry.alabama.gov/) Florida: https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Wildland-Fire (https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Wildland-Fire) Wildfire Potential Outlooks (https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/predictive-services/outlooks) from the National Interagency Coordination Center 7-Day Precipitation Forecast Summary of conditions and impacts: Rainfall the next 7 days ranges one to around two inches. The higher amounts within this range look to be focused along and north of the western corridor of U.S. Highway 84. Little change in drought intensity is anticipated. Long-Range Outlooks Summary of conditions and impacts: Looking ahead, the outlook for needed rainfall to alleviate drought conditions appears slim at best. Below normal precipitation is favored over the deep south through April 2026. Latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC (https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/) webpage Drought Outlook Latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC (https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/) webpage Summary of conditions and impacts: Drought conditions look to persist the next three months over much of the local area.