Lee County, Alabama · Opelika
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With 7% of homes built before 1960 and about 2 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
January brings the most downpours to Lee County, part of 14.6 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
7% 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.
Lee County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 5.8 inches, and about 35 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
4% of occupied homes in Lee County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Alabama county median of 9.9%.
About 108 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
Lee County covers 608 square miles of eastern Alabama, with about 181,134 residents and 79,619 homes. Opelika is the county seat; Auburn, Smiths Station and Waverly are the next largest communities. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1997.
26/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Lee County ranks 67 of 67 Alabama counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Lee County ranks highest compared with other Alabama counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Lee County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 2 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 35 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 37th of 67 counties.
Most freezing nights fall from 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.
Freezing nights typically start around Nov 18 and end around Mar 11.
Rainfall is about average for Alabama. About 14.6 days a year bring an inch or more (44th of 67), most often in January, out of 58.2 inches of total precipitation. On September 17, 2020, 5.8 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 8.6 inches, ending December 25, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 35 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Alabama's 67 counties range widely in housing age; Lee ranks 64th, with 23% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 45% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
About 32% 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 14% 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.
Renters occupy 34% 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
About 108 nights a year in Lee County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (36th of 67 counties). December is the wettest month. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30 to 50%. Basements can pass 60% on their own in summer, so a dehumidifier matters even without a leak, and anything wet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours.
Mold remediation: what to expectMain heating fuel in Lee County's occupied homes: 18% utility gas, 78% electric, 3% propane and under 1% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Lee County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Chambers and Tallapoosa get more pipe-freeze nights than Lee. Macon County has the oldest housing nearby, with 52% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Lee | Alabama median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 7% | 16% | 64 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 23% | 44% | 64 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 45% | 23% | 4 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 14% | 22% | 50 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 13% | 16% | 51 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 3.9% | 9.9% | 57 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 3/yr | 37 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 15/yr | 15/yr | 44 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 35/yr | 38/yr | 39 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 108/yr | 112/yr | 36 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 Lee County: freezing from January, heavy rain in January, April and December.
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