Spatial and Temporal Assessment of Meteorological Drought Using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Its Effect on Crop Yield over the Corn Belt Region of the United States from 2000 to 2023

Climate change and global warming have contributed to extreme weather events and patterns, including severe flooding, earthquakes, wildfires, and drought. Drought happens to be the deadliest catastrophic event around the world. Drought's impact on ecosystems and local communities has been increasing in many parts of the world, including the United States and, most importantly, the corn belt, which also happens to be the country's food basket. Understanding drought prediction and mitigation can be investigated through drought indices. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is considered the most reliable in this study. It is used in this study to present the critical identifier in diagnosing extreme precipitation events during multiple periods. It is also comparable to various landscapes across a region and is simple to use concerning its calculation process. This study focuses on the Midwest Corn Belt Region of the United States between the climate record from 2000-2023. This study is designed to understand precipitation regimes and their impact on agricultural production in various landscapes across the corn belt region of the United States. Results for the study area showed drought affecting at least portions of the Corn Belt 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2018 with areas characterized as being mild, moderate, severe, or extremely dry. Our analysis shows that climate change has undoubtedly resulted in a temperature rise, exacerbating the frequency and severity of heat waves in many parts of the United States, including the Corn Belt.