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

3.5 years in 10

Lamar 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 (28 wk), 2002 (45 wk), 2006 (20 wk), 2007 (36 wk), 2008 (49 wk), 2011 (52 wk), 2012 (52 wk) and 2016 (27 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2005, 2014, 2020, 2021 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 Oct 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 35% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Against the rest of GA

131st most drought-prone of 159 GA counties; the GA middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Chattooga County (3.8 in 10) and Bibb 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 Oct (42% of weeks), then Nov (38%) and Sep (36%). Least in Apr (28%). May to September averages 35%.

36 Jan
32 Feb
35 Mar
28 Apr
35 May
34 Jun
34 Jul
35 Aug
36 Sep
42 Oct
38 Nov
30 Dec

The worst year: 2000

2000: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 34.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 23.2% at D2, 11.7% at D3, 33 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 122 weeks, Nov 23, 2010 to Mar 19, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2016, 27 weeks. 2016-2025: 1 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 31 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.