Drought in Anson County, NC: 4.6 years in 10 since 2000

4.6 years in 10

Anson County, NC: 12 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (18 wk), 2001 (37 wk), 2002 (45 wk), 2006 (17 wk), 2007 (29 wk), 2008 (36 wk), 2011 (19 wk), 2012 (16 wk), 2013 (17 wk), 2022 (14 wk), 2023 (13 wk) and 2025 (27 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020.

Plan for drought as normal: shrink the lawn, go drip and natives

Drought is the normal state of things here. Most of the yard goes to natives and gravel on drip; any grass that stays is a small, tough patch.

If you are replacing turf, plant natives in fall so roots set before the Nov peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of NC

4th most drought-prone of 100 NC counties; the NC middle is 3.1 in 10. Closest on the list: Polk County (4.6 in 10) and Lincoln County (4.2 in 10). Driest in NC: Cleveland County (5 in 10). Least drought: Gates County (1.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (37% of weeks), then Apr (34%) and Dec (32%). Least in Aug (18%). May to September averages 21%.

30 Jan
28 Feb
30 Mar
34 Apr
26 May
25 Jun
18 Jul
18 Aug
18 Sep
29 Oct
37 Nov
32 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 45 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 27.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 11.6% at D2, 5.3% at D3, 32 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 58 weeks, Jul 31, 2007 to Sep 2, 2008.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 27 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.