Sumter County, Alabama · Livingston
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Pipes freeze in Sumter County on about 2 nights a year, mostly January. Older homes, 16% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in April. Sumter County averages 14.6 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
16% 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.
Sumter County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.34 inches, and about 36 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
23% of occupied homes in Sumter County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Alabama county median of 9.9%.
With 123 muggy nights a year, mold in Sumter County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
Sumter County covers 904 square miles of western Alabama, with about 11,878 residents and 6,356 homes. The county seat is Livingston, and York, Cuba and Epes round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1979, half after.
44/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Sumter County ranks 45 of 67 Alabama counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Sumter County ranks highest compared with other Alabama counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Sumter 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 36 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 17 and end around Mar 4.
Rainfall is about average for Alabama. About 14.6 days a year bring an inch or more (44th of 67), most often in April, out of 54.1 inches of total precipitation. On December 28, 2018, 4.34 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.16 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
53% of homes in Sumter County predate 1980, above the Alabama county median of 43.5%, which ranks 6th of Alabama's 67 counties.
The mix runs from 16% built before 1960 to 16% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
31% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 31% 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.
With 24% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Renters occupy 33% 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 123 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 Sumter County it's 6% utility gas, 71% electric, 21% propane and 2% 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 Sumter County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Greene and Pickens get more pipe-freeze nights than Sumter. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Sumter | Alabama median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 16% | 16% | 31 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 53% | 44% | 6 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 16% | 23% | 61 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 31% | 22% | 9 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 24% | 16% | 17 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 23% | 9.9% | 4 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 | 36/yr | 38/yr | 35 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 123/yr | 112/yr | 20 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 Sumter 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