Drought in Hood County, TX: 5 years in 10 since 2000

5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (34 wk), 2005 (21 wk), 2006 (49 wk), 2007 (13 wk), 2009 (13 wk), 2011 (43 wk), 2012 (34 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (23 wk), 2018 (20 wk), 2022 (50 wk) and 2023 (26 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2004 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 Oct peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of TX

182nd most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Hill County (5 in 10) and Throckmorton County (5 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 Oct (46% of weeks), then Aug (45%) and Mar (42%). Least in May (25%). May to September averages 36%.

36 Jan
39 Feb
42 Mar
29 Apr
25 May
30 Jun
41 Jul
45 Aug
38 Sep
46 Oct
32 Nov
34 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 36.4% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 21.1% at D2, 10.2% at D3, 56 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 154 weeks, Jun 5, 2012 to May 12, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 26 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 17 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.