The term “flash drought” was coined in the early 2000s to draw attention to the rapid onset or intensification of drought conditions, which can cause large, unexpected environmental and socioeconomic impacts. More research is needed to better define flash drought, fully capture flash drought impacts, and determine research needs.

To advance this process, NIDIS hosted a Flash Drought Workshop in December 2020 for subject matter experts and others—including end users of drought information—to share perspectives on flash drought and to jointly identify a research pathway to address the management and response challenges flash drought poses. The subsequent workshop report documented research and application needs in three key areas of flash drought assessment and response: monitoring, prediction, and planning/response. This document summarizes these priorities.