The month of May typically marks the onset of the wet season in Puerto Rico. But in 2026, rain had largely failed to materialize as of late August, and much of the U.S. territory found itself in the throes of drought. The dry conditions have contributed to water shortages and rationing in some areas, leading Puerto Rico’s governor to declare a state of emergency in late July and the U.S. government to issue a drought disaster declaration for more than two dozen cities and towns in late August.
五月通常标志着波多黎各雨季的开始。但到了 2026 年，截至 8 月下旬，降雨基本上没有出现，美国大部分地区都陷入了干旱的痛苦之中。干旱导致一些地区缺水和配给，导致波多黎各总督于7月下旬宣布进入紧急状态，美国政府于8月下旬对二十多个城镇发布干旱灾难声明。
This map depicts the extent and severity of drought in Puerto Rico on August 25, 2026. It was produced by the U.S. Drought Monitor , a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA. NASA has contributed Earth observations and expertise to the project for many years, and in 2026, the partnership was strengthened when two agency scientists joined the small team that authors the weekly drought assessments.
该地图描绘了 2026 年 8 月 25 日波多黎各干旱的范围和严重程度。它由美国干旱监测中心制作，该监测中心是内布拉斯加大学林肯分校国家干旱缓解中心、美国农业部 (USDA)、国家海洋和大气管理局以及 NASA 之间的合作伙伴关系。 NASA 多年来一直为该项目贡献地球观测和专业知识，到 2026 年，两名机构科学家加入了编写每周干旱评估的小团队，双方的合作关系得到了加强。
Effects of the hot and dry conditions appeared in a variety of satellite data products and ground-based observations that the U.S. Drought Monitor considers when creating its weekly assessments, said David Mocko, a senior research scientist in the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. For recent updates to Puerto Rico’s drought maps, satellite estimates of soil moisture , as well as weather, streamflow , and well observations, were particularly important factors, he said. Mocko authored the U.S. Drought Monitor update for August 18, 2026. He and Jonathan Case of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center are the first from the agency to produce the weekly maps.
美国宇航局戈达德太空飞行中心水文科学实验室的高级研究科学家大卫·莫科表示，美国干旱监测机构在制定每周评估时考虑的各种卫星数据产品和地面观测结果中都出现了炎热和干燥条件的影响。他说，对于波多黎各干旱地图的最新更新，卫星对土壤湿度的估计以及天气、水流和井观测是特别重要的因素。 Mocko 撰写了 2026 年 8 月 18 日的美国干旱监测更新。他和 NASA 马歇尔太空飞行中心的乔纳森·凯斯 (Jonathan Case) 是该机构第一个制作每周地图的人。
As of August 25, 2026 , three-quarters of Puerto Rico was experiencing at least moderate drought, according to the group’s assessment. Zones of extreme drought (dark orange) in the eastern and southwestern regions of the main island had expanded in the previous week to cover 44 percent of the territory.
根据该组织的评估，截至 2026 年 8 月 25 日，波多黎各四分之三的地区至少经历了中度干旱。上周，主岛东部和西南部地区的极端干旱（深橙色）区域已扩大至覆盖全岛 44% 的面积。
Three months earlier, no part of Puerto Rico was experiencing drought, and less than 20 percent of its area was classified as abnormally dry. Conditions were wetter than normal across the U.S. Caribbean in late winter and early spring, the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) reported —but then they dried significantly.
三个月前，波多黎各没有任何地区出现干旱，只有不到 20% 的面积被列为异常干旱。据国家综合干旱信息系统（NIDIS）报告，冬末春初，美国加勒比海地区的气候比正常情况更加湿润，但随后又显着干燥。
From mid-May through mid-July, most of Puerto Rico received less than 60 percent of normal precipitation, according to NIDIS. In southern and southwestern areas, rainfall totals were less than 20 percent of normal, amounting to a deficit of 3 to 6 inches (76 to 152 millimeters). Unusually high temperatures contributed to the drying—San Juan had one of its warmest Julys on record, for example. Streamflow reached record lows in rivers such as the Rio Fajardo in the northeast.
根据 NIDIS 的数据，从 5 月中旬到 7 月中旬，波多黎各大部分地区的降水量低于正常水平的 60%。在南部和西南部地区，降雨总量低于正常水平的 20%，缺水量为 3 至 6 英寸（76 至 152 毫米）。异常高温导致了干燥——例如，圣胡安经历了有记录以来最温暖的七月之一。东北部的法哈多河等河流的水流量达到历史最低水平。
Strained water resources have affected farmers, ranchers, and residents across the territory. Water rationing has been in place for several municipalities since early August, according to news reports , with observers noting that infrastructure issues have exacerbated shortages. For farmers , parched soils have impacted the growth of everything from fruit and cacao trees to banana and coffee plants, leading to crop losses, while ranchers face depleting hay reserves.
水资源紧张影响了全境的农民、牧场主和居民。据新闻报道，自 8 月初以来，多个城市已经实施了供水配给，观察人士指出，基础设施问题加剧了水资源短缺。对于农民来说，干燥的土壤影响了从水果和可可树到香蕉和咖啡树等各种植物的生长，导致农作物损失，而牧场主则面临着干草储备的枯竭。
U.S. Drought Monitor maps, published since 1999, assist federal, state, local, and tribal decision makers with drought response. The USDA, for instance, uses them in a “ fast track ” process for disaster designations, which can then direct emergency resources to those affected.
美国干旱监测地图自 1999 年起发布，协助联邦、州、地方和部落决策者应对干旱。例如，美国农业部将它们用于灾难指定的“快速通道”流程，然后可以将紧急资源分配给受影响的人。
NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using data from the U.S. Drought Monitor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Story by Lindsey Doermann.
美国宇航局地球观测站图像，由 Michala Garrison 拍摄，使用内布拉斯加大学林肯分校美国干旱监测仪的数据。林赛·杜尔曼的故事。