Liberty County, Georgia · Hinesville
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Liberty County averages 0 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly midwinter, and 5% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 10.4 times a year here, most often in September. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
5% 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.
In Liberty County, 7.24 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
4% of occupied homes in Liberty County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Georgia county median of 7.1%.
About 142 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
Liberty County covers 516 square miles of southeast Georgia, with about 67,397 residents and 27,675 homes. Besides Hinesville, the county seat, the biggest communities are Fort Stewart, Walthourville and Midway. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1994.
23/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Lower Liberty County ranks 158 of 159 Georgia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Liberty County ranks highest compared with other Georgia counties.
Liberty County is milder than most of Georgia, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. It averaged 12 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 0 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 159 Georgia counties that's 117th.
With only about 12 freezing nights a year, many homes here aren't built for cold, so a single arctic outbreak can burst pipes across the county. The record low in this data was about 18°F, on December 25, 2022.
Liberty gets fewer downpours than most Georgia counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 49.5 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 10.4 days of an inch or more (141st of 159). Those downpours cluster in April, July and September, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 7.24 inches on October 8, 2016. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 9.5 inches (through August 8, 2024).
Housing
Georgia's 159 counties range widely in housing age; Liberty ranks 133rd, with 23% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 36% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
About 41% 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.
15% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, below the Georgia county median of 20.9%. 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.
Renters occupy 49% 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
Liberty County averages 142 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in August. 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 Liberty County's occupied homes: 6% utility gas, 87% electric, 3% 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 Liberty County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Liberty gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Chatham County has the oldest housing nearby, with 42% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Liberty | Georgia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 4.5% | 15% | 147 of 159 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 23% | 38% | 133 of 159 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 36% | 27% | 40 of 159 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 15% | 21% | 103 of 159 |
| Vacant homes | 13% | 14% | 86 of 159 |
| Wood or propane heat | 3.8% | 7.1% | 106 of 159 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 0/yr | 2/yr | 117 of 159 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 10/yr | 12/yr | 141 of 159 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 12/yr | 29/yr | 151 of 159 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 142/yr | 112/yr | 7 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 Liberty County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in April, July and September.
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