Izard County, Arkansas · Melbourne
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Izard County averages 14 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 11% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 14.7 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Izard County spike on heavy-rain days, about 14.7 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 66 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
37% of occupied homes in Izard County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Arkansas county median of 10.9%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 75 times a year in Izard County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
With 6,739 homes and around 14,009 residents, Izard County is 580 square miles of northern Arkansas. Melbourne is the county seat; Horseshoe Bend, Calico Rock and Oxford are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1984, half after.
39/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Izard County ranks 64 of 75 Arkansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Izard County ranks highest compared with other Arkansas counties.
Izard County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Arkansas. It averaged 72 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 14 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 11th.
The longest cold spell was straight 10 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -5°F on February 16, 2021. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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 3.
Izard gets fewer downpours than most Arkansas counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 53.5 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 14.7 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 64th of 75. March, April and May see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 4.71 inches, December 28, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.65 inches, ending December 28, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 66 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
Arkansas's 75 counties range widely in housing age; Izard ranks 45th, with 44% of its homes built before 1980.
Housing age is mixed: 11% of homes are pre-1960 and 24% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 33% 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 13% 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 22% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 75 times a year here, below 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 expectMain heating fuel in Izard County's occupied homes: 7% utility gas, 56% electric, 25% propane and 12% 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 Izard County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Baxter and Fulton get more pipe-freeze nights than Izard. Sharp County has the oldest housing nearby, with 58% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Izard | Arkansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 11% | 15% | 57 of 75 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 44% | 46% | 45 of 75 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 24% | 23% | 35 of 75 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 13% | 15% | 46 of 75 |
| Vacant homes | 22% | 18% | 20 of 75 |
| Wood or propane heat | 37% | 11% | 7 of 75 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 14/yr | 6/yr | 11 of 75 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 15/yr | 17/yr | 64 of 75 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 66/yr | 48/yr | 9 of 75 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 75/yr | 105/yr | 65 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 Izard 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