Pickens County, Alabama · Carrollton
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Pipes freeze in Pickens County on about 3 nights a year, mostly January. Older homes, 17% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in February. Pickens County averages 15.2 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Pickens County gets about 15.2 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 38 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
17% of occupied homes in Pickens County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Alabama county median of 9.9%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 118 times a year in Pickens County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
With 8,729 homes and around 18,721 residents, Pickens County is 881 square miles of western Alabama. The county seat is Carrollton, and Aliceville, Gordo and Reform round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1979.
57/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Pickens County ranks 21 of 67 Alabama counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Pickens County ranks highest compared with other Alabama counties.
For frozen pipes, Pickens County is a typical Alabama county, which is still plenty. From 2015–2024 it averaged 3 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 39 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 25th of 67 counties.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 15 and the last spring freeze around Mar 11.
Rainfall is about average for Alabama. The county gets about 59 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 15.2 days of an inch or more (30th of 67). Those downpours cluster in January, February and April, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 6.03 inches on October 26, 2019. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 7.02 inches (through October 27, 2019).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 38 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; Pickens ranks 11th, with 52% 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.
About 31% 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 24% 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.
23% 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 118 times a year here, close to 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, Pickens County homes break down as 15% utility gas, 66% electric, 13% propane and 4% wood. Wood and propane heat are 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 Pickens County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Fayette and Lamar get more pipe-freeze nights than Pickens. Lamar County has the oldest housing nearby, with 54% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Pickens | Alabama median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 17% | 16% | 25 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 52% | 44% | 11 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 23% | 55 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 24% | 22% | 25 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 23% | 16% | 23 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 17% | 9.9% | 14 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 | 30 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 38/yr | 38/yr | 34 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 118/yr | 112/yr | 30 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 Pickens 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