Drought in Durham County, NC: 3.8 years in 10 since 2000

3.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (20 wk), 2002 (45 wk), 2005 (15 wk), 2006 (18 wk), 2007 (26 wk), 2008 (33 wk), 2011 (31 wk), 2012 (20 wk), 2017 (18 wk) and 2025 (16 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2020 and 2022.

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

Against the rest of NC

12th most drought-prone of 100 NC counties; the NC middle is 3.1 in 10. Closest on the list: Orange County (3.8 in 10) and Robeson County (3.8 in 10). Driest in NC: Cleveland County (5 in 10). Least drought: Gates County (1.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Dec (29% of weeks), then Feb (28%) and Oct (28%). Least in Jun (17%). May to September averages 20%.

25 Jan
28 Feb
27 Mar
22 Apr
18 May
17 Jun
23 Jul
19 Aug
24 Sep
28 Oct
24 Nov
29 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 45 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 23.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 9.6% at D2, 4.8% at D3, 37 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 54 weeks, Oct 30, 2001 to Nov 5, 2002.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 16 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.