Drought in Delaware County, OK: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2005 (16 wk), 2006 (31 wk), 2011 (20 wk), 2012 (26 wk), 2013 (15 wk), 2017 (23 wk), 2018 (20 wk), 2022 (25 wk) and 2024 (15 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016 and 2019.

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 Oct, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of OK

61st most drought-prone of 77 OK counties; the OK middle is 4.6 in 10. Closest on the list: Ottawa County (3.5 in 10) and Seminole County (3.1 in 10). Driest in OK: Cimarron County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: McIntosh County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Oct (32% of weeks), then Aug (26%) and Sep (26%). Least in Jun (1%). May to September averages 15%.

24 Jan
18 Feb
19 Mar
13 Apr
5 May
1 Jun
16 Jul
26 Aug
26 Sep
32 Oct
26 Nov
22 Dec

The worst year: 2006

2006: 31 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 18.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 9.1% at D2, 3.5% at D3, 10 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 41 weeks, Jul 3, 2012 to Apr 9, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 15 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 33 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.