Drought in Early County, GA: 4.2 years in 10 since 2000

4.2 years in 10

Early County, GA: 11 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (52 wk), 2002 (32 wk), 2006 (18 wk), 2007 (36 wk), 2008 (20 wk), 2010 (21 wk), 2011 (52 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2014 (16 wk), 2019 (13 wk) and 2025 (25 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2005, 2009, 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 Jan peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of GA

79th most drought-prone of 159 GA counties; the GA middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Screven County (4.2 in 10) and Clay County (4.2 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 Jan (41% of weeks), then Nov (40%) and Oct (36%). Least in Mar (19%). May to September averages 30%.

41 Jan
32 Feb
19 Mar
22 Apr
31 May
30 Jun
27 Jul
31 Aug
32 Sep
36 Oct
40 Nov
33 Dec

The worst year: 2000

2000: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 31.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 18.1% at D2, 9.6% at D3, 69 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 133 weeks, Aug 10, 2010 to Feb 19, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 25 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 24 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.