Recent U.S. Drought Monitor data valid through September 29, 2026, show exceptional (D4) drought covering about 1.3% of the contiguous United States, concentrated in parts of Texas, northern Wisconsin, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with severe-to-exceptional conditions also noted across portions of the southern Plains and Southeast. The latest map, released October 1, reflects continued degradation in Texas/Oklahoma and the Lower Mississippi region amid persistent dryness and above-normal temperatures, partially offset by localized rainfall from Hurricane Polo remnants and improvements across the West and northern Plains. Soil moisture deficits, low streamflows, and agricultural stress (pasture, hay, and row crops) underpin the D4 designations according to National Drought Mitigation Center assessments incorporating NOAA, USDA, and NASA inputs. The next USDM update, expected October 8 with data through early October, will incorporate any mid-week precipitation or temperature shifts that could alter state-level D4 boundaries before the October 6 resolution week.