Counties in the Worst Drought in California
The top 25 of 58 California counties on GIS Map, ranked by the Drought Severity and Coverage Index (0-500), where 500 means the entire county is in exceptional drought.
| # | County | Drought Severity Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Modoc County | 200.0 |
| 2 | Siskiyou County | 189.9 |
| 3 | Lassen County | 158.5 |
| 4 | Inyo County | 155.7 |
| 5 | Imperial County | 154.5 |
| 6 | San Bernardino County | 141.8 |
| 7 | Del Norte County | 138.7 |
| 8 | Riverside County | 124.6 |
| 9 | Sierra County | 122.1 |
| 10 | Placer County | 110.9 |
| 11 | Nevada County | 110.4 |
| 12 | Trinity County | 106.1 |
| 13 | Plumas County | 104.7 |
| 14 | El Dorado County | 103.2 |
| 15 | Shasta County | 101.4 |
| 16 | Humboldt County | 101.3 |
| 17 | Alpine County | 100.0 |
| 18 | Amador County | 100.0 |
| 19 | Butte County | 100.0 |
| 20 | Calaveras County | 100.0 |
| 21 | Colusa County | 100.0 |
| 22 | Glenn County | 100.0 |
| 23 | Mariposa County | 100.0 |
| 24 | Mono County | 100.0 |
| 25 | Sutter County | 100.0 |
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor (13 October 2026). All counties with data are ranked. Estimates carry margins of error.
Citing this page: GIS Map, “Counties in the Worst Drought in California”, https://gismap.land/rankings/california/worst-drought-counties. Figures from U.S. Drought Monitor (13 October 2026).
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