Is Kentucky in a drought?
This week's U.S. Drought Monitor for Kentucky, and the category in each of its 120 counties, from the National Drought Mitigation Center.
Yes, in part: 14.08% of Kentucky is in drought (D1 to D4).
64.23% is at least abnormally dry (D0 to D4), 0% in severe drought or worse (D2 to D4), 0% extreme or worse (D3 to D4) and 0% in D4 Exceptional Drought.
Next map: released Thursday 22 October 2026.
On the map valid 13 October 2026, 19 of 120 counties had some drought (D1 or worse); 81 more were abnormally dry (D0) only.
Every county, map valid 13 October 2026
The category is the most severe one covering any part of the county; the share says how much of it. "Weeks" counts the weekly maps in a row with that category or worse somewhere in it.
| County | Category this week | Share in it | In drought (D1–D4) | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| Allen County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Anderson County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Ballard County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 35.82% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Barren County | D1 Moderate Drought | 89.09% | 89.09% | 4 weeks |
| Bath County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 99.88% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Bell County | None | 0% | 3 weeks | |
| Boone County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 86.56% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Bourbon County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 64.78% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Boyd County | None | 0% | 16 weeks | |
| Boyle County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Bracken County | None | 0% | 21 weeks | |
| Breathitt County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 47.37% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Breckinridge County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 4 weeks |
| Bullitt County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 36.71% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Butler County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Caldwell County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 40.28% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Calloway County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 39.07% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Campbell County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 79.49% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Carlisle County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 13.49% | 0% | 1 week |
| Carroll County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 97.92% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Carter County | None | 0% | 16 weeks | |
| Casey County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| Christian County | D1 Moderate Drought | 94.26% | 94.26% | 4 weeks |
| Clark County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Clay County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 88.73% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Clinton County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| Crittenden County | None | 0% | 2 weeks | |
| Cumberland County | D1 Moderate Drought | 40.58% | 40.58% | 4 weeks |
| Daviess County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 4 weeks |
| Edmonson County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 2 weeks |
| Elliott County | None | 0% | 16 weeks | |
| Estill County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Fayette County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 72.34% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Fleming County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 8.66% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Floyd County | None | 0% | 9 weeks | |
| Franklin County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 99.68% | 0% | 1 week |
| Fulton County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 76.91% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Gallatin County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Garrard County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Grant County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 94.84% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Graves County | None | 0% | 2 weeks | |
| Grayson County | D1 Moderate Drought | 19.45% | 19.45% | 2 weeks |
| Green County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Greenup County | None | 0% | 20 weeks | |
| Hancock County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 1 week |
| Hardin County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 58.33% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Harlan County | None | 0% | 3 weeks | |
| Harrison County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 0.02% | 0% | 1 week |
| Hart County | D1 Moderate Drought | 7.59% | 7.59% | 2 weeks |
| Henderson County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Henry County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 43.61% | 0% | 1 week |
| Hickman County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 36.56% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Hopkins County | D1 Moderate Drought | 12.21% | 12.21% | 3 weeks |
| Jackson County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Jefferson County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 86.86% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Jessamine County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Johnson County | None | 0% | 14 weeks | |
| Kenton County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 90.43% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Knott County | None | 0% | 1 week | |
| Knox County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 18.47% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Larue County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 74.37% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Laurel County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Lawrence County | None | 0% | 14 weeks | |
| Lee County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Leslie County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 9.19% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Letcher County | None | 0% | 9 weeks | |
| Lewis County | None | 0% | 20 weeks | |
| Lincoln County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Livingston County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 6.99% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Logan County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Lyon County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 54.54% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Madison County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Magoffin County | None | 0% | 11 weeks | |
| Marion County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Marshall County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 42.88% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Martin County | None | 0% | 14 weeks | |
| Mason County | None | 0% | 21 weeks | |
| McCracken County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 11.95% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| McCreary County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 70.25% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| McLean County | D1 Moderate Drought | 7.19% | 7.19% | 3 weeks |
| Meade County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Menifee County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Mercer County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Metcalfe County | D1 Moderate Drought | 50.57% | 50.57% | 2 weeks |
| Monroe County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Montgomery County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Morgan County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 37.47% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Muhlenberg County | D1 Moderate Drought | 96.01% | 96.01% | 3 weeks |
| Nelson County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 80.97% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Nicholas County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 41.43% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Ohio County | D1 Moderate Drought | 70.84% | 70.84% | 3 weeks |
| Oldham County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 36.05% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Owen County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 1 week |
| Owsley County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Pendleton County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 4.56% | 0% | 1 week |
| Perry County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 12.75% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Pike County | None | 0% | 9 weeks | |
| Powell County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Pulaski County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| Robertson County | None | 0% | 21 weeks | |
| Rockcastle County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| Rowan County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 21.17% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Russell County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| Scott County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 22.57% | 0% | 1 week |
| Shelby County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 54.12% | 0% | 1 week |
| Simpson County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Spencer County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 38.27% | 0% | 1 week |
| Taylor County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Todd County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Trigg County | D1 Moderate Drought | 10% | 10% | 3 weeks |
| Trimble County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 48.1% | 0% | 2 weeks |
| Union County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 81.93% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Warren County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Washington County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Wayne County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| Webster County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 78.22% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Whitley County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 12.11% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Wolfe County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 93.94% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Woodford County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 65% | 0% | 2 weeks |
Natural disaster risk in Kentucky by county · Drought in every state
The categories
| Category | Name |
|---|---|
| D0 | Abnormally Dry (not drought: going into or coming out of drought) |
| D1 | Moderate Drought |
| D2 | Severe Drought |
| D3 | Extreme Drought |
| D4 | Exceptional Drought |
What each category means on the ground is described on the Drought Monitor's classification page.
How this page reads the Drought Monitor
- The figures are the U.S. Drought Monitor's own statistics (share of area in each category), read from its data service. The categories are theirs, unchanged. This site does not make its own drought assessment.
- The Drought Monitor gives each county a share in each category. A county's category here is the most severe one covering any part of it, with the share it covers. "Weeks" counts the weekly maps in a row, newest first, on which some of the county was at that category or worse.
- A new map is released every Thursday, valid for the Tuesday before. Every figure here carries that valid date. This site reads the new week once, after the Thursday release, and keeps it.
- Counties are matched to the Drought Monitor by their five-digit FIPS code. Connecticut is shown by its nine planning regions, which replaced its eight counties in 2022; the Drought Monitor's county statistics use the same planning regions.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, droughtmonitor.unl.edu · The official map for Kentucky · Drought Monitor data tables · drought.gov current conditions · NOAA seasonal drought outlook
Questions
Is Kentucky in a drought right now?
On the U.S. Drought Monitor valid 13 October 2026, 14.08% of Kentucky is in drought (D1 to D4) and 64.23% is at least abnormally dry (D0 to D4).
Which counties in Kentucky are in the worst drought?
This week the most severe category in Kentucky is D1 Moderate Drought, in Allen County, Barren County, Butler County, Christian County, Cumberland County, Edmonson County, Grayson County, Hart County and 11 more.
How is a county's category chosen on this page?
The U.S. Drought Monitor gives the share of each county in each category. This page names the most severe category covering any part of the county, and always says how much of the county it covers.