Drought in Hamilton County, TN: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Hamilton County, TN: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (42 wk), 2001 (24 wk), 2007 (46 wk), 2008 (53 wk), 2016 (35 wk), 2017 (16 wk), 2023 (14 wk), 2024 (29 wk) and 2025 (15 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2021.

Keep a lawn, but switch to drought-tolerant grass

Dry years come often enough to kill a thirsty lawn every few summers. Keep the lawn, reseed with a drought-tolerant mix, and put the beds on drip.

If you reseed, use a drought-tolerant mix and do it well clear of Nov, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (5 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (2.5 in 10).

Against the rest of TN

3rd most drought-prone of 95 TN counties; the TN middle is 2.3 in 10. Closest on the list: McMinn County (3.8 in 10) and Polk County (3.5 in 10). Driest in TN: Bradley County (3.8 in 10). Least drought: Robertson County (1.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (37% of weeks), then Oct (34%) and Feb (28%). Least in Apr (14%). May to September averages 24%.

28 Jan
28 Feb
24 Mar
14 Apr
18 May
21 Jun
27 Jul
27 Aug
28 Sep
34 Oct
37 Nov
26 Dec

The worst year: 2008

2008: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 25.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 14% at D2, 5.9% at D3, 51 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 100 weeks, Feb 13, 2007 to Jan 6, 2009.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 15 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 2.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 30 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.