Drought in Wheeler County, GA: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (52 wk), 2001 (34 wk), 2002 (50 wk), 2006 (22 wk), 2007 (21 wk), 2008 (21 wk), 2011 (52 wk), 2012 (38 wk) and 2025 (19 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2005, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024.

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 May 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 28% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Against the rest of GA

139th most drought-prone of 159 GA counties; the GA middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: White County (3.5 in 10) and Bacon County (3.5 in 10). Driest in GA: Berrien County (5.8 in 10). Least drought: Gilmer County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in May (35% of weeks), then Mar (32%) and Jun (31%). Least in Sep (22%). May to September averages 28%.

28 Jan
27 Feb
32 Mar
25 Apr
35 May
31 Jun
24 Jul
25 Aug
22 Sep
28 Oct
31 Nov
30 Dec

The worst year: 2000

2000: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 28.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 15.4% at D2, 5.9% at D3, 36 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 92 weeks, Nov 9, 2010 to Aug 7, 2012.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 19 weeks. 2016-2025: 1 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 25 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.