Puerto Rico went from no drought to widespread extreme drought in just months as rainfall collapsed and water shortages spread. Puerto Rico usually enters its wet season in May. In 2026, however, the expected rains largely failed to arrive through late August, leaving much of the U.S. territory in drought. The prolonged dry spell has [...]

Low rainfall and shrinking rivers are causing shipping bottlenecks, and higher prices, around the world.

© Ina Fassbender/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Low rainfall and shrinking rivers are causing shipping bottlenecks, and higher prices, around the world.

New Mexico’s largest reservoir plunged to just 1.4 percent capacity in July 2026, revealing the dramatic impact of prolonged drought and record early snowmelt. NASA is using satellite data to help water managers understand the shrinking supply and prepare for future shortages. When astronaut John Glenn remarked on the landscape below him while orbiting Earth [...]