Is Tennessee in a drought?
This week's U.S. Drought Monitor for Tennessee, and the category in each of its 95 counties, from the National Drought Mitigation Center.
Yes, in part: 61.38% of Tennessee is in drought (D1 to D4).
85.44% is at least abnormally dry (D0 to D4), 36.93% in severe drought or worse (D2 to D4), 7.46% extreme or worse (D3 to D4) and 0% in D4 Exceptional Drought.
Next map: released Thursday 22 October 2026.
On the map valid 13 October 2026, 72 of 95 counties had some drought (D1 or worse); 18 more were abnormally dry (D0) only. D3 Extreme Drought somewhere in 22. D2 Severe Drought somewhere in 21.
Every county, map valid 13 October 2026
The category is the most severe one covering any part of the county; the share says how much of it. "Weeks" counts the weekly maps in a row with that category or worse somewhere in it.
| County | Category this week | Share in it | In drought (D1–D4) | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | D1 Moderate Drought | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4 weeks |
| Bedford County | D3 Extreme Drought | 76.68% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Benton County | D1 Moderate Drought | 49.75% | 49.75% | 3 weeks |
| Bledsoe County | D1 Moderate Drought | 34.33% | 34.33% | 4 weeks |
| Blount County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 6.24% | 0% | 48 weeks |
| Bradley County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| Campbell County | D1 Moderate Drought | 0.01% | 0.01% | 4 weeks |
| Cannon County | D2 Severe Drought | 32.36% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Carroll County | D1 Moderate Drought | 28.08% | 28.08% | 3 weeks |
| Carter County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 98.23% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Cheatham County | D3 Extreme Drought | 71.97% | 100% | 1 week |
| Chester County | D3 Extreme Drought | 54.24% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Claiborne County | None | 0% | 3 weeks | |
| Clay County | D1 Moderate Drought | 94.88% | 94.88% | 4 weeks |
| Cocke County | D1 Moderate Drought | 0.18% | 0.18% | 42 weeks |
| Coffee County | D2 Severe Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Crockett County | D2 Severe Drought | 17.04% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Cumberland County | D1 Moderate Drought | 1.3% | 1.3% | 4 weeks |
| Davidson County | D3 Extreme Drought | 45.06% | 100% | 1 week |
| Decatur County | D3 Extreme Drought | 32.53% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| DeKalb County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Dickson County | D3 Extreme Drought | 2.72% | 100% | 1 week |
| Dyer County | D3 Extreme Drought | 1.8% | 100% | 2 weeks |
| Fayette County | D2 Severe Drought | 100% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Fentress County | D1 Moderate Drought | 5.05% | 5.05% | 3 weeks |
| Franklin County | D2 Severe Drought | 77.22% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Gibson County | D1 Moderate Drought | 80.32% | 80.32% | 3 weeks |
| Giles County | D2 Severe Drought | 100% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Grainger County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 0.52% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Greene County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 16.61% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Grundy County | D2 Severe Drought | 98.06% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Hamblen County | None | 0% | 2 weeks | |
| Hamilton County | D1 Moderate Drought | 10.14% | 10.14% | 4 weeks |
| Hancock County | None | 0% | 3 weeks | |
| Hardeman County | D2 Severe Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Hardin County | D3 Extreme Drought | 52.58% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Hawkins County | None | 0% | 3 weeks | |
| Haywood County | D3 Extreme Drought | 14.21% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Henderson County | D3 Extreme Drought | 11.21% | 99.99% | 3 weeks |
| Henry County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 96.96% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Hickman County | D2 Severe Drought | 40.89% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Houston County | D1 Moderate Drought | 78.07% | 78.07% | 4 weeks |
| Humphreys County | D2 Severe Drought | 0.04% | 98.99% | 3 weeks |
| Jackson County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Jefferson County | None | 0% | 2 weeks | |
| Johnson County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 98.85% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Knox County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 18.83% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| Lake County | D1 Moderate Drought | 63.7% | 63.7% | 3 weeks |
| Lauderdale County | D3 Extreme Drought | 88.57% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Lawrence County | D2 Severe Drought | 100% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Lewis County | D2 Severe Drought | 86.77% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Lincoln County | D2 Severe Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Loudon County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 41.07% | 0% | 45 weeks |
| Macon County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Madison County | D2 Severe Drought | 61.38% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Marion County | D2 Severe Drought | 19.06% | 99.54% | 3 weeks |
| Marshall County | D3 Extreme Drought | 30.85% | 100% | 2 weeks |
| Maury County | D3 Extreme Drought | 19.05% | 100% | 2 weeks |
| McMinn County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| McNairy County | D3 Extreme Drought | 34.12% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Meigs County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Monroe County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 55.93% | 0% | 45 weeks |
| Montgomery County | D2 Severe Drought | 11.35% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Moore County | D3 Extreme Drought | 0.99% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Morgan County | D1 Moderate Drought | 19.11% | 19.11% | 44 weeks |
| Obion County | D1 Moderate Drought | 32.73% | 32.73% | 3 weeks |
| Overton County | D1 Moderate Drought | 97.02% | 97.02% | 4 weeks |
| Perry County | D3 Extreme Drought | 4.99% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Pickett County | D1 Moderate Drought | 0.15% | 0.15% | 4 weeks |
| Polk County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 6 weeks |
| Putnam County | D1 Moderate Drought | 96.69% | 96.69% | 4 weeks |
| Rhea County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | at least 54 weeks |
| Roane County | D1 Moderate Drought | 8.27% | 8.27% | 44 weeks |
| Robertson County | D3 Extreme Drought | 4.35% | 100% | 1 week |
| Rutherford County | D3 Extreme Drought | 1.99% | 100% | 2 weeks |
| Scott County | D1 Moderate Drought | 18.6% | 18.6% | 4 weeks |
| Sequatchie County | D2 Severe Drought | 5.82% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Sevier County | D1 Moderate Drought | 8% | 8% | 42 weeks |
| Shelby County | D3 Extreme Drought | 3.54% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Smith County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Stewart County | D1 Moderate Drought | 31.77% | 31.77% | 3 weeks |
| Sullivan County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 12.16% | 0% | 49 weeks |
| Sumner County | D2 Severe Drought | 18.47% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Tipton County | D3 Extreme Drought | 87.33% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Trousdale County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 4 weeks |
| Unicoi County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Union County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 21.27% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Van Buren County | D2 Severe Drought | 7.77% | 79.94% | 3 weeks |
| Warren County | D2 Severe Drought | 95.03% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Washington County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 51.34% | 0% | 5 weeks |
| Wayne County | D3 Extreme Drought | 23.2% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Weakley County | D1 Moderate Drought | 0.01% | 0.01% | 2 weeks |
| White County | D1 Moderate Drought | 81.19% | 81.19% | 4 weeks |
| Williamson County | D3 Extreme Drought | 6.86% | 100% | 1 week |
| Wilson County | D2 Severe Drought | 12.96% | 100% | 3 weeks |
Natural disaster risk in Tennessee by county · Drought in every state
The categories
| Category | Name |
|---|---|
| D0 | Abnormally Dry (not drought: going into or coming out of drought) |
| D1 | Moderate Drought |
| D2 | Severe Drought |
| D3 | Extreme Drought |
| D4 | Exceptional Drought |
What each category means on the ground is described on the Drought Monitor's classification page.
How this page reads the Drought Monitor
- The figures are the U.S. Drought Monitor's own statistics (share of area in each category), read from its data service. The categories are theirs, unchanged. This site does not make its own drought assessment.
- The Drought Monitor gives each county a share in each category. A county's category here is the most severe one covering any part of it, with the share it covers. "Weeks" counts the weekly maps in a row, newest first, on which some of the county was at that category or worse.
- A new map is released every Thursday, valid for the Tuesday before. Every figure here carries that valid date. This site reads the new week once, after the Thursday release, and keeps it.
- Counties are matched to the Drought Monitor by their five-digit FIPS code. Connecticut is shown by its nine planning regions, which replaced its eight counties in 2022; the Drought Monitor's county statistics use the same planning regions.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, droughtmonitor.unl.edu · The official map for Tennessee · Drought Monitor data tables · drought.gov current conditions · NOAA seasonal drought outlook
Questions
Is Tennessee in a drought right now?
On the U.S. Drought Monitor valid 13 October 2026, 61.38% of Tennessee is in drought (D1 to D4) and 85.44% is at least abnormally dry (D0 to D4). 36.93% is in D2 Severe Drought or worse.
Which counties in Tennessee are in the worst drought?
This week the most severe category in Tennessee is D3 Extreme Drought, in Bedford County, Cheatham County, Chester County, Davidson County, Decatur County, Dickson County, Dyer County, Hardin County and 14 more.
How is a county's category chosen on this page?
The U.S. Drought Monitor gives the share of each county in each category. This page names the most severe category covering any part of the county, and always says how much of the county it covers.