Cleburne County, Arkansas · Heber Springs
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With 8% of homes built before 1960 and about 10 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 16.5 times a year here, most often in March. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Cleburne County gets about 16.5 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Cleburne County, 5.05 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
20% of occupied homes in Cleburne County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Arkansas county median of 10.9%.
About 92 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
About 25,226 people live in Cleburne County, 554 square miles in northern Arkansas, in roughly 15,667 homes. Besides Heber Springs, the county seat, the biggest communities are Quitman, Greers Ferry and Tumbling Shoals. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1989.
40/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Cleburne County ranks 61 of 75 Arkansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Cleburne County ranks highest compared with other Arkansas counties.
Cleburne County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Arkansas. It averaged 57 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 10 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 75 Arkansas counties that's 20th.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 8 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -4°F on February 16, 2021.
Most freezing nights fall from December to February, 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 8 and end around Mar 26.
Rainfall is about average for Arkansas. Of roughly 56.8 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 16.5 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 41st of 75. March, April and May see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 5.05 inches, December 28, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.77 inches, ending February 23, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 52 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
37% of homes in Cleburne County predate 1980, below the Arkansas county median of 46%, which ranks 60th of Arkansas's 75 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 29% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
35% 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.
20% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the Arkansas county median of 15%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
The Census counted 33% of homes as vacant, above the Arkansas county median of 18.1%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
About 92 nights a year in Cleburne County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (54th of 75 counties). May is the wettest month. 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, Cleburne County homes break down as 20% utility gas, 59% electric, 16% propane and 3% wood. Propane heat is more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Cleburne County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Stone and Van Buren get more pipe-freeze nights than Cleburne. Independence County has the oldest housing nearby, with 38% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Cleburne | Arkansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 7.5% | 15% | 69 of 75 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 37% | 46% | 60 of 75 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 29% | 23% | 14 of 75 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 20% | 15% | 19 of 75 |
| Vacant homes | 33% | 18% | 2 of 75 |
| Wood or propane heat | 20% | 11% | 18 of 75 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 10/yr | 6/yr | 20 of 75 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 17/yr | 17/yr | 41 of 75 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 52/yr | 48/yr | 33 of 75 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 92/yr | 105/yr | 54 of 75 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Arkansas county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Cleburne County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in March, April and May.
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