Drought in Newberry County, SC: 4.6 years in 10 since 2000

4.6 years in 10

Newberry County, SC: 12 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (38 wk), 2001 (40 wk), 2002 (51 wk), 2006 (15 wk), 2007 (31 wk), 2008 (50 wk), 2009 (13 wk), 2010 (16 wk), 2011 (38 wk), 2012 (43 wk), 2016 (15 wk) and 2017 (25 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2014, 2020 and 2021.

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.

Against the rest of SC

9th most drought-prone of 46 SC counties; the SC middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: McCormick County (4.6 in 10) and Greenville County (4.6 in 10). Driest in SC: Abbeville County (5.8 in 10). Least drought: Charleston County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (41% of weeks), then Jul (37%) and Jan (36%). Least in Sep (28%). May to September averages 34%.

36 Jan
34 Feb
35 Mar
29 Apr
33 May
35 Jun
37 Jul
35 Aug
28 Sep
33 Oct
41 Nov
35 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 51 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 34.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 18.5% at D2, 7.4% at D3, 43 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 81 weeks, May 29, 2007 to Dec 9, 2008.

Lately

Last drought year: 2017, 25 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 31 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.