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

3.5 years in 10

White 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 (35 wk), 2002 (40 wk), 2007 (38 wk), 2008 (53 wk), 2009 (18 wk), 2016 (36 wk), 2017 (22 wk) and 2024 (15 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2021.

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 Nov 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

138th most drought-prone of 159 GA counties; the GA middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Dawson County (3.5 in 10) and Wheeler 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 Nov (37% of weeks), then Jul (32%) and Oct (32%). Least in Aug (24%). May to September averages 28%.

31 Jan
25 Feb
24 Mar
31 Apr
30 May
28 Jun
32 Jul
24 Aug
26 Sep
32 Oct
37 Nov
30 Dec

The worst year: 2000

2000: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 29.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 17.7% at D2, 9.3% at D3, 47 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 107 weeks, Apr 24, 2007 to May 5, 2009.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 15 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 34 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.