Drought in Richland County, SC: 2.7 years in 10 since 2000

2.7 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (31 wk), 2001 (33 wk), 2002 (46 wk), 2007 (24 wk), 2008 (34 wk), 2011 (38 wk) and 2012 (37 wk). Not a single drought week in 2014, 2016, 2020 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 Jun peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

This is one step drier than the yearly count alone suggests, because 26% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Against the rest of SC

43rd most drought-prone of 46 SC counties; the SC middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Clarendon County (3.1 in 10) and Dorchester County (2.7 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 (30% of weeks), then Oct (29%) and Feb (28%). Least in Aug (21%). May to September averages 26%.

27 Jan
28 Feb
23 Mar
24 Apr
25 May
30 Jun
25 Jul
21 Aug
27 Sep
29 Oct
26 Nov
25 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 46 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 25.7% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 10.9% at D2, 3.2% at D3, 9 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 58 weeks, Oct 9, 2001 to Nov 12, 2002.

Lately

Last drought year: 2012, 37 weeks. 2016-2025: 0 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 33 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.