Woodruff County, Arkansas · Augusta
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Pipes freeze in Woodruff County on about 6 nights a year, mostly January. Older homes, 10% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 15.1 times a year here, most often in March. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Woodruff County spike on heavy-rain days, about 15.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 37 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
8% of occupied homes in Woodruff County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Arkansas county median of 10.9%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 111 times a year in Woodruff County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
With 3,256 homes and around 6,026 residents, Woodruff County is 586 square miles of eastern Arkansas. Besides Augusta, the county seat, the biggest communities are McCrory, Cotton Plant and Patterson. Half the homes here were built before 1977, half after.
36/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Woodruff County ranks 68 of 75 Arkansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Woodruff County ranks highest compared with other Arkansas counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Woodruff County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 6 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 42 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 37th of 75 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 9 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -1°F on February 16, 2021. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from January, 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.
Freezing nights typically start around Nov 10 and end around Mar 14.
Woodruff 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 53.3 inches of total precipitation. On April 30, 2017, 4.83 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.31 inches, ending February 23, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 37 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
60% of homes in Woodruff County predate 1980, above the Arkansas county median of 46%, which ranks 6th of Arkansas's 75 counties.
The mix runs from 10% built before 1960 to 16% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 24% 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.
Renters occupy 35% 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
About 111 nights a year in Woodruff County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (25th of 75 counties). March is the wettest month. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30 to 50%. Basements can pass 60% on their own in summer, so a dehumidifier matters even without a leak, and anything wet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours.
Mold remediation: what to expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Woodruff County it's 35% utility gas, 56% electric, 8% propane and under 1% wood. Fires here are likelier to start in the kitchen or the wiring than in the furnace. After any fire, keep the HVAC off until ducts are checked, or soot will travel through the house.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Woodruff County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Jackson gets more pipe-freeze nights than Woodruff. Jackson County has the oldest housing nearby, with 66% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Woodruff | Arkansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 9.6% | 15% | 61 of 75 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 60% | 46% | 6 of 75 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 16% | 23% | 65 of 75 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 13% | 15% | 50 of 75 |
| Vacant homes | 17% | 18% | 43 of 75 |
| Wood or propane heat | 8.2% | 11% | 48 of 75 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 6/yr | 6/yr | 37 of 75 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 15/yr | 17/yr | 57 of 75 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 37/yr | 48/yr | 58 of 75 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 111/yr | 105/yr | 25 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 Woodruff County: freezing from January, heavy rain in March, April and December.
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