Greene County, Arkansas · Paragould
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Pipes freeze in Greene County on about 9 nights a year, mostly December to February. Older homes, 11% of the stock here, are most at risk.
March brings the most downpours to Greene County, part of 15.1 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
11% 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.
Greene County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 3.89 inches, and about 48 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
12% of occupied homes in Greene County heat mainly with wood or propane, close to the Arkansas county median of 10.9%.
About 100 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 19,603 homes and around 46,432 residents, Greene County is 577 square miles of northeast Arkansas. Paragould is the county seat; Marmaduke, Oak Grove Heights and Lafe are the next largest communities. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1991.
40/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Greene County ranks 62 of 75 Arkansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Greene County ranks highest compared with other Arkansas counties.
Greene County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Arkansas. It averaged 54 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 9 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 24th.
On December 23, 2022 the low fell to about -1°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 11 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 Nov 10 and end around Mar 24.
Greene gets fewer downpours than most Arkansas counties, but they still fill basements. About 15.1 days a year bring an inch or more (57th of 75), most often in March, out of 55.6 inches of total precipitation. On April 30, 2017, 3.89 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.36 inches, ending February 23, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 48 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
Arkansas's 75 counties range widely in housing age; Greene ranks 59th, with 37% of its homes built before 1980.
Growth since 2000 added 33% 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 29% 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.
Here 13% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
Renters occupy 34% 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 100 times a year here, close to the Arkansas county median of 105. 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 Greene County it's 12% utility gas, 75% electric, 10% propane and 2% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Greene County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Clay, Lawrence and Randolph get more pipe-freeze nights than Greene. Clay County has the oldest housing nearby, with 66% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Greene | Arkansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 11% | 15% | 55 of 75 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 37% | 46% | 59 of 75 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 33% | 23% | 9 of 75 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 13% | 15% | 52 of 75 |
| Vacant homes | 8.2% | 18% | 71 of 75 |
| Wood or propane heat | 12% | 11% | 33 of 75 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 9/yr | 6/yr | 24 of 75 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 15/yr | 17/yr | 57 of 75 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 48/yr | 48/yr | 37 of 75 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 100/yr | 105/yr | 42 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 Greene 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