Johnson County, Arkansas · Clarksville
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With 15% of homes built before 1960 and about 12 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
May brings the most downpours to Johnson County, part of 17.1 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Johnson County spike on heavy-rain days, about 17.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Johnson County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.55 inches, and about 58 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
11% of occupied homes in Johnson County heat mainly with wood or propane, close to the Arkansas county median of 10.9%.
About 83 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
Johnson County covers 661 square miles of northwest Arkansas, with about 26,003 residents and 11,555 homes. Besides Clarksville, the county seat, the biggest communities are Lamar, Coal Hill and Hartman. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1986.
55/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Johnson County ranks 25 of 75 Arkansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Johnson County ranks highest compared with other Arkansas counties.
Johnson is on the colder side of Arkansas for pipes. It averaged 63 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 12 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 15th.
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 -8°F on February 16, 2021.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 10 and the last spring freeze around Mar 31.
Rainfall is about average for Arkansas. Of roughly 57.5 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 17.1 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 37th of 75. March, May and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 4.55 inches, December 28, 2015. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 8.09 inches (through November 5, 2024).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 58 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
38% of homes in Johnson County predate 1980, below the Arkansas county median of 46%, which ranks 56th of Arkansas's 75 counties.
Housing age is mixed: 15% of homes are pre-1960 and 21% 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 40% 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.
10% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, below 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 83 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, Johnson County homes break down as 26% utility gas, 59% electric, 7% propane and 4% wood. Wood 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 Johnson County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Madison and Newton get more pipe-freeze nights than Johnson. Logan County has the oldest housing nearby, with 52% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Johnson | Arkansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 15% | 15% | 38 of 75 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 38% | 46% | 56 of 75 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 23% | 49 of 75 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 10% | 15% | 62 of 75 |
| Vacant homes | 11% | 18% | 63 of 75 |
| Wood or propane heat | 11% | 11% | 35 of 75 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 12/yr | 6/yr | 15 of 75 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 17/yr | 17/yr | 37 of 75 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 58/yr | 48/yr | 20 of 75 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 83/yr | 105/yr | 61 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 Johnson County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in March, May and August.
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