Drought in Maui County, HI: 6 years in 10 since 2000

6 years in 10

Maui County, HI: 15 of 25 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20012025

Drought years: 2001 (47 wk), 2003 (26 wk), 2008 (16 wk), 2009 (34 wk), 2010 (50 wk), 2011 (18 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (28 wk), 2017 (13 wk), 2020 (20 wk), 2021 (30 wk), 2022 (46 wk), 2023 (19 wk), 2024 (21 wk) and 2025 (48 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2015, 2016 and 2018.

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 HI

1st most drought-prone of 5 HI counties; the HI middle is 3.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Hawaii County (5.4 in 10). Least drought: Kauai County (1.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Oct (57% of weeks), then Nov (54%) and Sep (53%). Least in May (23%). May to September averages 38%.

36 Jan
27 Feb
27 Mar
23 Apr
23 May
32 Jun
35 Jul
45 Aug
53 Sep
57 Oct
54 Nov
44 Dec

The worst year: 2012

2012: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,397 weekly maps: 37.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 8.5% at D2, 0.4% at D3, 44 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 83 weeks, Aug 30, 2011 to Mar 26, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 48 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 5.3 in 10 for 2001-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 10 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.