Greene County, Alabama · Eutaw
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Pipes freeze in Greene County on about 3 nights a year, mostly January. Older homes, 17% of the stock here, are most at risk.
April brings the most downpours to Greene County, part of 14.9 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
17% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Greene County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.69 inches, and about 36 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
17% of occupied homes in Greene County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Alabama county median of 9.9%.
About 119 nights a year here stay at 65°F or warmer, so basements and crawl spaces can grow mold even without a leak.
Local risk profile
With 4,279 homes and around 7,424 residents, Greene County is 647 square miles of western Alabama. Eutaw is the county seat; Forkland, Union and Boligee are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1981, half after.
54/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Greene County ranks 26 of 67 Alabama counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Greene County ranks highest compared with other Alabama counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Greene County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 37 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 3 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 25th.
The freeze season here runs January, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
Freezing nights typically start around Nov 16 and end around Mar 11.
Rainfall is about average for Alabama. About 14.9 days a year bring an inch or more (36th of 67), most often in April, out of 56.6 inches of total precipitation. On December 28, 2018, 4.69 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.57 inches, ending October 27, 2019, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 36 days a year. Each cycle melts and refreezes water at roof edges and in foundation cracks, which is how ice dams and basement seepage get started.
Housing
Alabama's 67 counties range widely in housing age; Greene ranks 19th, with 49% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 17% built before 1960 to 18% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 34% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
Here 35% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
25% 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.
Renters occupy 38% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 119 times a year here, close to the Alabama county median of 112. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Greene County it's 14% utility gas, 69% electric, 16% propane and under 1% wood. Propane heat is above the Alabama norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Greene County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Greene gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Sumter County has the oldest housing nearby, with 53% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Greene | Alabama median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 17% | 16% | 27 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 49% | 44% | 19 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 23% | 56 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 35% | 22% | 6 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 25% | 16% | 16 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 17% | 9.9% | 15 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 3/yr | 3/yr | 25 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 15/yr | 15/yr | 36 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 36/yr | 38/yr | 35 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 119/yr | 112/yr | 27 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 Greene County: freezing from January, heavy rain in January, February and April.
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