Recent precipitation from remnants of Hurricane Polo and other systems has driven widespread one-category improvements across the Southern Plains, Southwest, Northern Rockies, and Southeast, reducing the national area in drought (D1–D4) to about 46% as of early October 2026 per the U.S. Drought Monitor. Exceptional (D4) conditions remain limited, covering roughly 1% of the U.S., with the primary pocket now concentrated in the U.S. Virgin Islands where St. Thomas reached D4 amid ongoing dryness, while southern Puerto Rico holds at D3 despite September rains. The U.S. Drought Monitor, produced jointly by NDMC, NOAA, USDA, and NASA, updates weekly on Thursdays with data valid through the prior Tuesday; the next map and any model consensus on soil moisture, streamflow, or short-term forecasts from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center will directly inform resolution criteria for D4 presence by state.