Russell County, Alabama · Phenix City
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With 19% 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.
Basements flood here mostly in January. Russell County averages 13.3 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
19% 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.
Russell County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 7.49 inches, and about 29 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
6% of occupied homes in Russell County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Alabama county median of 9.9%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 114 times a year in Russell County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Russell County covers 641 square miles of eastern Alabama, with about 58,811 residents and 27,711 homes. Phenix City is the county seat; Ladonia and Hurtsboro are the next largest communities. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1985.
41/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Russell County ranks 49 of 67 Alabama counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Russell County ranks highest compared with other Alabama counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Russell County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 2 nights a year at or below 20°F (37th of 67) and 29 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
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 21 and end around Mar 7.
Russell gets fewer downpours than most Alabama counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 54.2 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 13.3 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 64th of 67. January, April and December see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 7.49 inches, September 17, 2020. The worst three-day stretch dropped 8.02 inches, ending September 18, 2020, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 29 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
44% of homes in Russell County predate 1980, close to the Alabama county median of 43.5%, which ranks 34th of Alabama's 67 counties.
Growth since 2000 added 31% of today's homes. In houses that new, the weak points are washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, water heaters and sump pumps rather than the pipes in the walls.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 26% 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.
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 39% 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 114 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Russell County it's 17% utility gas, 75% electric, 6% propane and under 1% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Russell County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Russell gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Macon County has the oldest housing nearby, with 52% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Russell | Alabama median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 19% | 16% | 18 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 44% | 44% | 34 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 31% | 23% | 13 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 14% | 22% | 52 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 14% | 16% | 45 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 6.2% | 9.9% | 48 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 3/yr | 37 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 15/yr | 64 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 29/yr | 38/yr | 48 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 114/yr | 112/yr | 33 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 Russell 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