Drought in Morgan County, TN: 2.7 years in 10 since 2000

2.7 years in 10

Morgan County, TN: 7 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (26 wk), 2001 (16 wk), 2007 (43 wk), 2008 (44 wk), 2016 (23 wk), 2023 (13 wk) and 2024 (21 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021.

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

Against the rest of TN

28th most drought-prone of 95 TN counties; the TN middle is 2.3 in 10. Closest on the list: Tipton County (2.7 in 10) and Crockett County (2.7 in 10). Driest in TN: Bradley County (3.8 in 10). Least drought: Robertson County (1.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (33% of weeks), then Dec (24%) and Jan (24%). Least in Apr (8%). May to September averages 15%.

24 Jan
19 Feb
17 Mar
8 Apr
10 May
21 Jun
19 Jul
9 Aug
14 Sep
20 Oct
33 Nov
24 Dec

The worst year: 2008

2008: 44 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 18.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 9.4% at D2, 4% at D3, 14 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 46 weeks, May 22, 2007 to Apr 1, 2008.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 21 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 2.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 29 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.