Drought in Johnson County, GA: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (52 wk), 2001 (34 wk), 2002 (50 wk), 2006 (23 wk), 2007 (26 wk), 2008 (28 wk), 2011 (46 wk), 2012 (52 wk) and 2025 (16 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2005, 2020 and 2023.

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

This is one step drier than the yearly count alone suggests, because 31% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Against the rest of GA

134th most drought-prone of 159 GA counties; the GA middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Crawford County (3.5 in 10) and Dodge County (3.5 in 10). Driest in GA: Berrien County (5.8 in 10). Least drought: Gilmer County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (37% of weeks), then Dec (37%) and May (36%). Least in Feb (25%). May to September averages 31%.

30 Jan
25 Feb
30 Mar
33 Apr
36 May
32 Jun
28 Jul
31 Aug
27 Sep
33 Oct
37 Nov
37 Dec

The worst year: 2000

2000: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 31.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 16.6% at D2, 7.1% at D3, 53 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 105 weeks, Mar 22, 2011 to Mar 19, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 16 weeks. 2016-2025: 1 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 24 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.