Drought in Tarrant County, TX: 5 years in 10 since 2000

5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (25 wk), 2005 (27 wk), 2006 (50 wk), 2007 (13 wk), 2011 (33 wk), 2012 (18 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (28 wk), 2018 (18 wk), 2021 (19 wk), 2022 (39 wk) and 2023 (24 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2004, 2016 and 2025.

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

Against the rest of TX

187th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Ellis County (5 in 10) and Hunt County (5 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 Aug (50% of weeks), then Oct (40%) and Sep (40%). Least in May (21%). May to September averages 34%.

32 Jan
36 Feb
36 Mar
26 Apr
21 May
27 Jun
32 Jul
50 Aug
40 Sep
40 Oct
35 Nov
34 Dec

The worst year: 2014

2014: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 33.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 20.3% at D2, 8.5% at D3, 55 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 132 weeks, Nov 6, 2012 to May 12, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 24 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 10 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.