Drought in Calhoun County, AL: 3.8 years in 10 since 2000

3.8 years in 10

Calhoun County, AL: 10 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (52 wk), 2002 (15 wk), 2006 (16 wk), 2007 (42 wk), 2008 (50 wk), 2012 (35 wk), 2016 (31 wk), 2017 (17 wk), 2024 (19 wk) and 2025 (13 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2014, 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 Nov peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of AL

23rd most drought-prone of 67 AL counties; the AL middle is 3.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Coffee County (3.8 in 10) and Talladega County (3.8 in 10). Driest in AL: Chambers County (5.4 in 10). Least drought: Morgan County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (38% of weeks), then Oct (33%) and Sep (29%). Least in Mar (17%). May to September averages 26%.

29 Jan
23 Feb
17 Mar
17 Apr
21 May
24 Jun
28 Jul
27 Aug
29 Sep
33 Oct
38 Nov
29 Dec

The worst year: 2000

2000: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 26.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 13.4% at D2, 6.6% at D3, 60 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 92 weeks, Mar 13, 2007 to Dec 9, 2008.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 13 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 11 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.