Drought in Randolph County, AL: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

Randolph County, AL: 14 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (52 wk), 2001 (18 wk), 2002 (27 wk), 2006 (20 wk), 2007 (40 wk), 2008 (36 wk), 2010 (16 wk), 2011 (48 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2014 (13 wk), 2016 (31 wk), 2017 (20 wk), 2024 (15 wk) and 2025 (21 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2015, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

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 AL

2nd most drought-prone of 67 AL counties; the AL middle is 3.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Chambers County (5.4 in 10) and Clay County (5 in 10). Driest in AL: Chambers County (5.4 in 10). Least drought: Morgan County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (41% of weeks), then Jan (39%) and Oct (39%). Least in Apr (23%). May to September averages 31%.

39 Jan
29 Feb
29 Mar
23 Apr
28 May
29 Jun
33 Jul
29 Aug
36 Sep
39 Oct
41 Nov
36 Dec

The worst year: 2000

2000: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 32.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 18.9% at D2, 10.1% at D3, 63 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 92 weeks, May 17, 2011 to Feb 12, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 21 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 19 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.