Drought in Wicomico County, MD: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Wicomico County, MD: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (44 wk), 2007 (25 wk), 2008 (19 wk), 2010 (14 wk), 2011 (14 wk), 2012 (39 wk), 2024 (16 wk) and 2025 (17 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

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 Jul, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of MD

1st most drought-prone of 24 MD counties; the MD middle is 1.9 in 10. Closest on the list: Anne Arundel County (2.7 in 10). Least drought: Garrett County (1.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Jul (23% of weeks), then Apr (22%) and Feb (19%). Least in Nov (13%). May to September averages 18%.

16 Jan
19 Feb
19 Mar
22 Apr
15 May
17 Jun
23 Jul
18 Aug
16 Sep
18 Oct
13 Nov
16 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 44 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 17.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 7.5% at D2, 1.1% at D3, 2 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 53 weeks, Oct 30, 2001 to Oct 29, 2002.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 17 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 30 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.