Drought in Bacon County, GA: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Bacon County, GA: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (45 wk), 2001 (28 wk), 2002 (46 wk), 2007 (22 wk), 2010 (16 wk), 2011 (52 wk), 2012 (29 wk), 2018 (20 wk) and 2025 (14 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2005, 2015, 2020 and 2021.

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 May peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

This is one step drier than the yearly count alone suggests, because 27% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Against the rest of GA

140th most drought-prone of 159 GA counties; the GA middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Wheeler County (3.5 in 10) and Union County (3.5 in 10). Driest in GA: Berrien County (5.8 in 10). Least drought: Gilmer County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in May (38% of weeks), then Mar (32%) and Jun (31%). Least in Sep (17%). May to September averages 27%.

28 Jan
30 Feb
32 Mar
31 Apr
38 May
31 Jun
23 Jul
24 Aug
17 Sep
25 Oct
27 Nov
28 Dec

The worst year: 2011

2011: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 27.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 15.3% at D2, 6.2% at D3, 24 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 92 weeks, Sep 14, 2010 to Jun 12, 2012.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 14 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 39 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.