Drought in Swisher County, TX: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

Swisher County, TX: 15 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (13 wk), 2001 (13 wk), 2003 (26 wk), 2006 (34 wk), 2011 (39 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (18 wk), 2018 (40 wk), 2020 (31 wk), 2021 (29 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (21 wk) and 2024 (13 wk). Not a single drought week in 2007 and 2010.

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 TX

107th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Garza County (5.8 in 10) and Hall County (5.8 in 10). Driest in TX: Uvalde County (7.7 in 10). Least drought: Jasper County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (47% of weeks), then Mar (45%) and Apr (43%). Least in Jun (36%). May to September averages 40%.

43 Jan
40 Feb
45 Mar
43 Apr
42 May
36 Jun
36 Jul
42 Aug
47 Sep
38 Oct
37 Nov
40 Dec

The worst year: 2012

2012: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 40.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 26.5% at D2, 12.1% at D3, 98 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 214 weeks, Apr 5, 2011 to May 5, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 13 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 36 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.