Drought in Dorchester County, SC: 2.7 years in 10 since 2000

2.7 years in 10

Dorchester County, SC: 7 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (22 wk), 2001 (29 wk), 2002 (38 wk), 2007 (18 wk), 2008 (30 wk), 2011 (30 wk) and 2012 (37 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017 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 May 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 27% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Against the rest of SC

44th most drought-prone of 46 SC counties; the SC middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Richland County (2.7 in 10) and Georgetown County (2.7 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 May (33% of weeks), then Jun (32%) and Apr (32%). Least in Dec (15%). May to September averages 27%.

21 Jan
19 Feb
25 Mar
32 Apr
33 May
32 Jun
31 Jul
22 Aug
16 Sep
19 Oct
17 Nov
15 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 38 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 23.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 9.1% at D2, 3.9% at D3, 4 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 62 weeks, Jun 7, 2011 to Aug 7, 2012.

Lately

Last drought year: 2012, 37 weeks. 2016-2025: 0 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 43 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.