DisasterAWARE
3
Moderate

drought Drought Risk in Raleigh, NC

Risk Level: Moderate — Score 3/10

FEMA: 3Historical: 10

Live Drought alert status near Raleigh

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Key Risk Factors

  • Estimated annual loss of $248K from this hazard type
  • 6 events on record in proximity
  • 3 event(s) in the last 12 months
  • Average annual frequency: 13.5 events per year

Peak season: June-September

Last significant event: Drought - Southern United States (2026-05-21) — 82,900,000 people exposed

Highest Risk Cities for Droughts

1
Fresno, CA
FEMA: 9Historical: 0
2
Mexico City, Mexico
Risk: 9Historical: 0
3
Istanbul, Turkey
Risk: 9Historical: 10
4
Bogota, Colombia
Risk: 9Historical: 10
5
Santiago, Chile
Risk: 9Historical: 0
6
Beijing, China
Risk: 9Historical: 1
7
Cairo, Egypt
Risk: 9Historical: 10
8
Kathmandu, Nepal
Risk: 9Historical: 1
9
Yangon, Myanmar
Risk: 9Historical: 1
10
Phoenix, AZ
FEMA: 7Historical: 10
Raleigh is not in the top 10 for drought risk among tracked cities.

How Raleigh Compares

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Notable Drought Events Near Raleigh

DisasterAWARE's historical archive records 5 notable drought events near Raleigh, ranked below by impact. The most impactful: Drought - Southern United States (May 2026) — 82,900,000 people exposed; $10,334,513M capital exposed.

Drought - Southern United States

May 20, 2026 — WARNING

82,900,000 people exposed; $10,334,513M capital exposed

Drought - Southern United States

September 17, 2025 — WARNING

71,300,000 people exposed; $8,655,554M capital exposed

Drought - Southern United States

September 17, 2025 — WARNING

72,000,000 people exposed; $8,615,578M capital exposed

Drought - Southeast United States

May 18, 2022 — WARNING

Impact data not available

Drought - North Carolina, United States

April 6, 2022 — WARNING

Impact data not available

Drought Preparedness Tips

  • 1.Reduce water usage — fix leaks, use water-efficient appliances
  • 2.Use drought-resistant landscaping and native plants
  • 3.Follow local water use restrictions and conservation guidelines
  • 4.Store emergency water supplies for drinking and sanitation
  • 5.Be aware of increased wildfire risk during drought conditions

Related Pages

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Earthquake Risk in Raleigh
Score: 3/10
wildfire
Wildfire Risk in Raleigh
Score: 1/10
hurricane
Hurricane Risk in Raleigh
Score: 5/10
flood
Flood Risk in Raleigh
Score: 7/10
tornado
Tornado Risk in Raleigh
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winter-storm
Winter Storm Risk in Raleigh
Score: 7/10
landslide
Landslide Risk in Raleigh
Score: 3/10
extreme-heat
Extreme Heat Risk in Raleigh
Score: 7/10
high-wind
High Wind Risk in Raleigh
Score: 3/10
tsunami
Tsunami Risk in Raleigh
Score: 0/10
drought
Drought Risk in Charlotte, NC
Score: 1/10
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Drought Risk in Virginia Beach, VA
Score: 1/10
drought
Drought Risk in Washington, DC
Score: 0/10

How this data is built

Raleigh, NC drought risk combines Historical Event Intelligence with authoritative hazard modeling from the Geospatial Intelligence Layers catalog. Live drought monitoring is available through the Event Intelligence API and the DisasterAWARE Platform.

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