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

3.5 years in 10

Dawson 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 (52 wk), 2001 (34 wk), 2002 (38 wk), 2006 (15 wk), 2007 (39 wk), 2008 (53 wk), 2012 (22 wk), 2016 (36 wk) and 2017 (21 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2004, 2005, 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.

This is one step drier than the yearly count alone suggests, because 30% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Against the rest of GA

137th most drought-prone of 159 GA counties; the GA middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Burke County (3.5 in 10) and White 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 Nov (38% of weeks), then Jul (33%) and Oct (33%). Least in Mar (24%). May to September averages 30%.

32 Jan
24 Feb
24 Mar
25 Apr
30 May
29 Jun
33 Jul
27 Aug
32 Sep
33 Oct
38 Nov
29 Dec

The worst year: 2008

2008: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 29.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 17.8% at D2, 9.2% at D3, 44 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 104 weeks, Apr 3, 2007 to Mar 24, 2009.

Lately

Last drought year: 2017, 21 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 38 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.