Drought in Quitman County, MS: 3.8 years in 10 since 2000

3.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (37 wk), 2005 (24 wk), 2007 (22 wk), 2010 (22 wk), 2012 (19 wk), 2016 (22 wk), 2022 (26 wk), 2023 (22 wk), 2024 (39 wk) and 2025 (20 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019.

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 Sep peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of MS

3rd most drought-prone of 82 MS counties; the MS middle is 2.7 in 10. Closest on the list: Coahoma County (4.2 in 10) and Bolivar County (3.8 in 10). Driest in MS: Tallahatchie County (4.2 in 10). Least drought: Benton County (1.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (41% of weeks), then Aug (40%) and Oct (34%). Least in May (8%). May to September averages 26%.

22 Jan
19 Feb
18 Mar
11 Apr
8 May
16 Jun
28 Jul
40 Aug
41 Sep
34 Oct
33 Nov
25 Dec

The worst year: 2024

2024: 39 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 24.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 9.2% at D2, 3% at D3, 22 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 64 weeks, Aug 19, 2025 to Nov 3, 2026.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 20 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.