Drought in Hyde County, NC: 2.3 years in 10 since 2000

2.3 years in 10

Hyde County, NC: 6 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (35 wk), 2007 (19 wk), 2008 (29 wk), 2011 (17 wk), 2021 (13 wk) and 2025 (20 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

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 Jan, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of NC

91st most drought-prone of 100 NC counties; the NC middle is 3.1 in 10. Closest on the list: Tyrrell County (2.3 in 10) and Carteret County (2.3 in 10). Driest in NC: Cleveland County (5 in 10). Least drought: Gates County (1.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Jan (23% of weeks), then Feb (20%) and Dec (17%). Least in Sep (10%). May to September averages 13%.

23 Jan
20 Feb
13 Mar
11 Apr
17 May
15 Jun
14 Jul
10 Aug
10 Sep
13 Oct
17 Nov
17 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 35 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 15% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 4.3% at D2, 0.1% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 43 weeks, Oct 30, 2001 to Aug 20, 2002.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 20 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 2.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 28 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.