Fulton County, Arkansas · Salem
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Fulton County averages 16 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 9% of its homes predate 1960.
May brings the most downpours to Fulton County, part of 14.4 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Fulton County gets about 14.4 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Fulton County, 4.13 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
38% of occupied homes in Fulton County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Arkansas county median of 10.9%.
About 72 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 6,225 homes and around 12,302 residents, Fulton County is 618 square miles of northern Arkansas. Besides Salem, the county seat, the biggest communities are Mammoth Spring and Viola. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1986.
36/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Fulton County ranks 67 of 75 Arkansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Fulton County ranks highest compared with other Arkansas counties.
Fulton County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Arkansas. It averaged 77 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 16 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 6th.
On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about -5°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 10 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs December to February, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 31 and end around Apr 2.
Fulton gets fewer downpours than most Arkansas counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 52.9 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 14.4 days of an inch or more (66th of 75). Those downpours cluster in March, April and May, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.13 inches on December 28, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.75 inches, ending November 6, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 71 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
42% of homes in Fulton County predate 1980, below the Arkansas county median of 46%, which ranks 52nd of Arkansas's 75 counties.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 9% predate 1960 and 23% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 36% 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.
24% 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 24% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 72 times a year here, below the Arkansas county median of 105. 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, Fulton County homes break down as 2% utility gas, 59% electric, 27% propane and 11% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Arkansas 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 Fulton County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Fulton gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Sharp County has the oldest housing nearby, with 58% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Fulton | Arkansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 9% | 15% | 64 of 75 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 42% | 46% | 52 of 75 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 23% | 23% | 38 of 75 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 24% | 15% | 10 of 75 |
| Vacant homes | 24% | 18% | 15 of 75 |
| Wood or propane heat | 38% | 11% | 6 of 75 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 16/yr | 6/yr | 6 of 75 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 14/yr | 17/yr | 66 of 75 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 71/yr | 48/yr | 1 of 75 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 72/yr | 105/yr | 68 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 Fulton 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