Drought in Wilcox County, AL: 3.8 years in 10 since 2000

3.8 years in 10

Wilcox County, AL: 10 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (35 wk), 2002 (14 wk), 2006 (17 wk), 2007 (41 wk), 2008 (33 wk), 2010 (15 wk), 2011 (31 wk), 2023 (14 wk), 2024 (22 wk) and 2025 (26 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2020.

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

Against the rest of AL

27th most drought-prone of 67 AL counties; the AL middle is 3.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Bibb County (3.8 in 10) and Dallas County (3.8 in 10). Driest in AL: Chambers County (5.4 in 10). Least drought: Morgan County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Dec (35% of weeks), then Oct (33%) and Nov (32%). Least in Apr (11%). May to September averages 20%.

31 Jan
19 Feb
13 Mar
11 Apr
19 May
17 Jun
22 Jul
18 Aug
25 Sep
33 Oct
32 Nov
35 Dec

The worst year: 2007

2007: 41 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 22.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 9.2% at D2, 3.7% at D3, 24 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 74 weeks, Mar 20, 2007 to Aug 12, 2008.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 26 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 30 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.