Drought in Carter County, TN: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Carter County, TN: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (27 wk), 2001 (34 wk), 2002 (29 wk), 2007 (43 wk), 2008 (53 wk), 2009 (13 wk), 2016 (13 wk) and 2025 (19 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Keep a lawn, but switch to drought-tolerant grass

Dry years come often enough to kill a thirsty lawn every few summers. Keep the lawn, reseed with a drought-tolerant mix, and put the beds on drip.

If you reseed, use a drought-tolerant mix and do it well clear of Mar, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of TN

12th most drought-prone of 95 TN counties; the TN middle is 2.3 in 10. Closest on the list: Roane County (3.1 in 10) and Dyer County (3.1 in 10). Driest in TN: Bradley County (3.8 in 10). Least drought: Robertson County (1.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (29% of weeks), then Jan (27%) and Dec (26%). Least in Sep (12%). May to September averages 17%.

27 Jan
23 Feb
29 Mar
19 Apr
18 May
17 Jun
22 Jul
14 Aug
12 Sep
18 Oct
25 Nov
26 Dec

The worst year: 2008

2008: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 20.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 10.4% at D2, 4.3% at D3, 21 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 101 weeks, May 1, 2007 to Mar 31, 2009.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 19 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 29 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.