Clay County, Alabama · Ashland
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Pipes freeze in Clay County on about 4 nights a year, mostly December to January. Older homes, 21% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 16.6 times a year here, most often in February. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Clay County gets about 16.6 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Clay County, 3.97 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
19% of occupied homes in Clay County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Alabama county median of 9.9%.
With 85 muggy nights a year, mold in Clay County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 14,192 people live in Clay County, 604 square miles in eastern Alabama, in roughly 7,106 homes. Ashland is the county seat; Lineville, Hollins and Millerville are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1984.
69/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Clay County ranks 6 of 67 Alabama counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Clay County ranks highest compared with other Alabama counties.
Clay is on the colder side of Alabama for pipes. It averaged 52 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 4 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 67 Alabama counties that's 12th.
Most freezing nights fall from December to January, peaking in January. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor spigots before the first hard frost, and keep the heat at 55°F or higher if you'll be away.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 8 and the last spring freeze around Mar 23.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Alabama. The county gets about 60.9 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 16.6 days of an inch or more (12th of 67). Those downpours cluster in January, February and March, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.97 inches on April 20, 2020. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.88 inches (through December 26, 2015).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 52 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
Alabama's 67 counties range widely in housing age; Clay ranks 37th, with 43% of its homes built before 1980.
21% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
About 34% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 22% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
18% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 85 times a year here, below the Alabama county median of 112. Mold grows when indoor humidity stays above about 60%, the EPA's ceiling. A basement dehumidifier set to 50% and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours prevents most problems.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Clay County homes break down as 23% utility gas, 57% electric, 13% propane and 5% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than in most Alabama counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Clay County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Clay gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Talladega County has the oldest housing nearby, with 45% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Clay | Alabama median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 21% | 16% | 10 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 43% | 44% | 37 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 23% | 23% | 29 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 22% | 22% | 31 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 18% | 16% | 31 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 19% | 9.9% | 11 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 4/yr | 3/yr | 12 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 17/yr | 15/yr | 12 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 52/yr | 38/yr | 7 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 85/yr | 112/yr | 64 of 67 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Alabama county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Clay County: freezing from December to January, heavy rain in January, February and March.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024); weather from NOAA nClimGrid-Daily county averages (EpiNOAA), 2015–2024, averaged across the county; county boundaries from Census TIGER. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Methodology