Drought in Deuel County, SD: 3.8 years in 10 since 2000

3.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (17 wk), 2003 (18 wk), 2004 (21 wk), 2011 (16 wk), 2012 (41 wk), 2013 (26 wk), 2021 (14 wk), 2023 (32 wk), 2024 (13 wk) and 2025 (25 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

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 Apr peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of SD

37th most drought-prone of 66 SD counties; the SD middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Edmunds County (3.8 in 10) and Hyde County (3.8 in 10). Driest in SD: Jackson County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: Clark County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Apr (29% of weeks), then Mar (24%) and Feb (23%). Least in Jun (12%). May to September averages 16%.

20 Jan
23 Feb
24 Mar
29 Apr
17 May
12 Jun
13 Jul
19 Aug
19 Sep
16 Oct
20 Nov
19 Dec

The worst year: 2012

2012: 41 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 19.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 5.6% at D2, 1.1% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 43 weeks, Jul 17, 2012 to May 7, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 25 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 15 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.