Drought in Fisher County, TX: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

Fisher County, TX: 14 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (33 wk), 2001 (16 wk), 2003 (13 wk), 2006 (31 wk), 2009 (25 wk), 2011 (45 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (22 wk), 2018 (37 wk), 2021 (24 wk), 2022 (52 wk) and 2023 (26 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2005 and 2016.

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

Against the rest of TX

142nd most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Lipscomb County (5.4 in 10) and Lavaca County (5.4 in 10). Driest in TX: Uvalde County (7.7 in 10). Least drought: Jasper County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (51% of weeks), then Apr (49%) and Sep (46%). Least in Nov (32%). May to September averages 41%.

35 Jan
42 Feb
51 Mar
49 Apr
44 May
35 Jun
36 Jul
43 Aug
46 Sep
37 Oct
32 Nov
34 Dec

The worst year: 2012

2012: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 40.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 25.4% at D2, 11.1% at D3, 116 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 221 weeks, Feb 22, 2011 to May 12, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 26 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 33 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.