Lawrence County, Arkansas · Walnut Ridge
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Pipes freeze in Lawrence County on about 10 nights a year, mostly December to February. Older homes, 16% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 15.8 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 Lawrence County gets about 15.8 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 52 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
23% of occupied homes in Lawrence County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Arkansas county median of 10.9%.
With 94 muggy nights a year, mold in Lawrence County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 7,644 homes and around 16,238 residents, Lawrence County is 588 square miles of northeast Arkansas. The county seat is Walnut Ridge, and Hoxie, Black Rock and Imboden round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1978.
52/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Lawrence County ranks 35 of 75 Arkansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Lawrence County ranks highest compared with other Arkansas counties.
Lawrence is on the colder side of Arkansas for pipes. It averaged 60 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.
On February 16, 2021 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.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 7 and the last spring freeze around Mar 25.
Lawrence gets fewer downpours than most Arkansas counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 54.8 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 15.8 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 51st of 75. March, May and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 4.35 inches, April 30, 2017. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 7.26 inches (through August 16, 2016).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 52 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
55% of homes in Lawrence County predate 1980, above the Arkansas county median of 46%, which ranks 14th of Arkansas's 75 counties.
Housing age is mixed: 16% of homes are pre-1960 and 15% 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 30% 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.
11% 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
Lawrence County averages 94 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Lawrence County homes break down as 44% utility gas, 32% electric, 17% propane and 6% wood. Wood and propane heat are 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 Lawrence County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Randolph and Sharp get more pipe-freeze nights than Lawrence. Jackson County has the oldest housing nearby, with 66% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Lawrence | Arkansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 16% | 15% | 32 of 75 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 55% | 46% | 14 of 75 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 15% | 23% | 68 of 75 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 11% | 15% | 59 of 75 |
| Vacant homes | 14% | 18% | 55 of 75 |
| Wood or propane heat | 23% | 11% | 14 of 75 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 10/yr | 6/yr | 20 of 75 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 16/yr | 17/yr | 51 of 75 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 52/yr | 48/yr | 33 of 75 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 94/yr | 105/yr | 50 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 Lawrence 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