Drought in Chester County, SC: 5 years in 10 since 2000

5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (32 wk), 2001 (47 wk), 2002 (52 wk), 2006 (15 wk), 2007 (31 wk), 2008 (49 wk), 2009 (15 wk), 2011 (22 wk), 2012 (35 wk), 2013 (15 wk), 2017 (18 wk), 2023 (18 wk) and 2025 (23 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2014, 2020 and 2024.

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 SC

6th most drought-prone of 46 SC counties; the SC middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Spartanburg County (5 in 10) and York County (5 in 10). Driest in SC: Abbeville County (5.8 in 10). Least drought: Charleston County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (47% of weeks), then Dec (37%) and Sep (37%). Least in Aug (26%). May to September averages 31%.

29 Jan
31 Feb
35 Mar
30 Apr
29 May
32 Jun
30 Jul
26 Aug
37 Sep
35 Oct
47 Nov
37 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 33.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 17% at D2, 5.9% at D3, 39 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 80 weeks, May 29, 2007 to Dec 2, 2008.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 23 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 32 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.