Drought in Orangeburg County, SC: 3.8 years in 10 since 2000

3.8 years in 10

Orangeburg County, SC: 10 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (28 wk), 2001 (32 wk), 2002 (45 wk), 2007 (21 wk), 2008 (37 wk), 2011 (40 wk), 2012 (40 wk), 2015 (15 wk), 2019 (15 wk) and 2025 (14 wk). Not a single drought week in 2005, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017, 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 Jun peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of SC

24th most drought-prone of 46 SC counties; the SC middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Bamberg County (3.8 in 10) and Darlington County (3.8 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 Jun (35% of weeks), then Sep (31%) and Jul (31%). Least in Dec (17%). May to September averages 30%.

23 Jan
23 Feb
20 Mar
28 Apr
28 May
35 Jun
31 Jul
24 Aug
31 Sep
28 Oct
24 Nov
17 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 45 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 26.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 10.8% at D2, 3.6% at D3, 4 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 61 weeks, Jun 14, 2011 to Aug 7, 2012.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 14 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 38 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.