Despite the fact that grass seems delicate and fragile, it can be quite resistant. Therefore, droughts may not pose real threat to the good health and overall appearance of your lawn. In fact, most types of lawns can actually resist the toughest droughts.
In case you are worried about the state of your lawn, and whether it is dead or dormant, you should check at the soil level. In this respect, lawns which are only dormant, but still alive, typically have plants with brown leaves, but which are still green at the base. Also, their roots should be white. In case your lawn is completely dead, then the plants should have brown and brittle roots. Treat your lawn with a grass fertilizer that enriches the soil beneath the grass to help it be drought tolerant.
Although it may seem as more than obvious to water your lawn during a drought season, this may not always be a good idea. In fact, many towns do not allow lawn watering during droughts. A dormant lawn is more likely to survive a drought than a lawn that is watered all the time.
The good news is there are several ways in which you can ensure the survival of your lawn, apart from watering it. Thus, you can aerate it, keep mowing it or remove thatch from it.