Drought in Isabela Municipio, PR: 0.8 years in 10 since 2000

0.8 years in 10

Isabela Municipio, PR: 2 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. Less drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2023 (28 wk) and 2024 (15 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2025.

A regular lawn is fine here; plan for the odd dry year

Real droughts are rare here. A smart controller that skips watering after rain covers the odd dry year.

You can keep a regular lawn. Worth doing: a rain-sensing or smart controller, and deeper, less frequent watering if Mar turns dry.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (2 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (0 in 10).

Against the rest of PR

31st most drought-prone of 78 PR counties; the PR middle is 0.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Maunabo Municipio (0.8 in 10) and Corozal Municipio (0.8 in 10). Driest in PR: Salinas Municipio (2.7 in 10). Least drought: Mayaguez Municipio (0 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (12% of weeks), then Aug (9%) and Apr (7%). Least in Dec (0%). May to September averages 5%.

3 Jan
6 Feb
12 Mar
7 Apr
3 May
5 Jun
6 Jul
9 Aug
3 Sep
3 Oct
0 Nov
0 Dec

The worst year: 2023

2023: 28 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 4.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 0.3% at D2, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 19 weeks, Jun 20, 2023 to Oct 24, 2023.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 15 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 0 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 0 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.