Drought in Tate County, MS: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Tate County, MS: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (36 wk), 2005 (16 wk), 2007 (28 wk), 2012 (19 wk), 2016 (13 wk), 2022 (18 wk), 2023 (13 wk), 2024 (15 wk) and 2025 (14 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Keep a lawn, but switch to drought-tolerant grass

Dry years come often enough to kill a thirsty lawn every few summers. Keep the lawn, reseed with a drought-tolerant mix, and put the beds on drip.

If you reseed, use a drought-tolerant mix and do it well clear of Nov, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (5 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (2.5 in 10).

Against the rest of MS

12th most drought-prone of 82 MS counties; the MS middle is 2.7 in 10. Closest on the list: Claiborne County (3.5 in 10) and Attala County (3.5 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 Nov (28% of weeks), then Oct (28%) and Aug (23%). Least in May (9%). May to September averages 16%.

18 Jan
13 Feb
13 Mar
10 Apr
9 May
10 Jun
18 Jul
23 Aug
22 Sep
28 Oct
28 Nov
17 Dec

The worst year: 2000

2000: 36 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 17.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 7.6% at D2, 2.4% at D3, 9 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 30 weeks, Jul 18, 2000 to Feb 6, 2001.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 14 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 2.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 25 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.