Lee County, Georgia · Leesburg
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With 2% of homes built before 1960 and about 1 hard-freeze night a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
December brings the most downpours to Lee County, part of 12 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
2% 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.
Lee County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.1 inches.
4% of occupied homes in Lee County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Georgia county median of 7.1%.
About 135 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
Lee County covers 356 square miles of southwest Georgia, with about 33,626 residents and 13,012 homes. Leesburg is the county seat; Smithville is the next largest community. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1998.
36/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Lee County ranks 136 of 159 Georgia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Lee County ranks highest compared with other Georgia counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Lee County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 1 night a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 16 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 85th of 159 counties.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 16 nights a year at or below 32°F, and that's exactly why they do damage: pipes in attics, exterior walls and slab-edge plumbing are rarely insulated. The coldest night in the record was about 15°F on December 24, 2022.
Rainfall is about average for Georgia. About 12 days a year bring an inch or more (84th of 159), most often in December, out of 52.1 inches of total precipitation. On December 6, 2016, 4.1 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.97 inches, ending September 17, 2020, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Housing
Georgia's 159 counties range widely in housing age; Lee ranks 153rd, with 15% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 46% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
About 39% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 9% 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.
Beyond water
About 135 nights a year in Lee County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (23rd of 159 counties). December 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 expectMain heating fuel in Lee County's occupied homes: 3% utility gas, 93% electric, 4% propane and under 1% 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 Lee County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Lee gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Dougherty County has the oldest housing nearby, with 61% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Lee | Georgia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 1.9% | 15% | 156 of 159 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 15% | 38% | 153 of 159 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 46% | 27% | 14 of 159 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 9.2% | 21% | 124 of 159 |
| Vacant homes | 5.6% | 14% | 147 of 159 |
| Wood or propane heat | 3.7% | 7.1% | 109 of 159 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 1/yr | 2/yr | 85 of 159 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 12/yr | 12/yr | 84 of 159 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 16/yr | 29/yr | 128 of 159 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 135/yr | 112/yr | 23 of 159 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Georgia county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Lee County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in January, February 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