Drought in Hemphill County, TX: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

Hemphill County, TX: 15 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (13 wk), 2002 (24 wk), 2006 (50 wk), 2009 (13 wk), 2011 (41 wk), 2012 (44 wk), 2013 (40 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (19 wk), 2018 (30 wk), 2020 (31 wk), 2021 (16 wk), 2022 (43 wk), 2023 (25 wk) and 2024 (14 wk). Not a single drought week in 2007 and 2019.

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

Against the rest of TX

112th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Wheeler County (5.8 in 10) and Fayette County (5.8 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 Apr (50% of weeks), then Mar (49%) and Feb (47%). Least in Nov (30%). May to September averages 37%.

43 Jan
47 Feb
49 Mar
50 Apr
42 May
37 Jun
38 Jul
37 Aug
32 Sep
35 Oct
30 Nov
38 Dec

The worst year: 2014

2014: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 39.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 22.8% at D2, 13.9% at D3, 110 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 74 weeks, Dec 17, 2013 to May 12, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 14 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 37 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.