Mobile County, Alabama · Mobile
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Mobile County averages 0 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly midwinter, and 19% of its homes predate 1960.
Basements flood here mostly in December. Mobile County averages 17.6 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Mobile County spike on heavy-rain days, about 17.6 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
2% of occupied homes in Mobile County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Alabama county median of 9.9%.
About 151 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 186,082 homes and around 412,590 residents, Mobile County is 1,229 square miles of southwest Alabama. Mobile is the county seat; Prichard, Tillmans Corner and Saraland are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1980, half after.
61/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Mobile County ranks 14 of 67 Alabama counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Mobile County ranks highest compared with other Alabama counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Alabama, and pipes still freeze. From 2015–2024 it averaged 0 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 12 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 66th of 67 counties.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 12 nights a year at or below 32°F, and that's exactly why they do damage: pipes in attics, exterior walls and slab-edge plumbing are rarely insulated. The coldest night in the record was about 17°F on January 18, 2018.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Alabama. The county gets about 65.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 17.6 days of an inch or more (6th of 67). Those downpours cluster in April, June and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 5.1 inches on October 23, 2017. The worst three-day stretch dropped 8.44 inches, ending January 3, 2017, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Housing
Alabama's 67 counties range widely in housing age; Mobile ranks 15th, with 51% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 19% built before 1960 to 22% 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 28% 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.
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
Mobile County averages 151 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in June. 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 Mobile County's occupied homes: 34% utility gas, 63% electric, 2% 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 Mobile County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Washington gets more pipe-freeze nights than Mobile. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Mobile | Alabama median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 19% | 16% | 16 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 51% | 44% | 15 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 22% | 23% | 40 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6.9% | 22% | 64 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 13% | 16% | 49 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 1.7% | 9.9% | 66 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 0/yr | 3/yr | 66 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 18/yr | 15/yr | 6 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 12/yr | 38/yr | 66 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 151/yr | 112/yr | 2 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 Mobile County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in April, June 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