Schley County, Georgia · Ellaville
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With 13% 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 Schley County, part of 11.9 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
13% 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.
Schley County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 5.52 inches, and about 24 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
27% of occupied homes in Schley County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Georgia county median of 7.1%.
About 116 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
About 4,513 people live in Schley County, 167 square miles in western Georgia, in roughly 1,886 homes. The county seat is Ellaville. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1991.
42/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Schley County ranks 121 of 159 Georgia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Schley County ranks highest compared with other Georgia counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Schley 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 24 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 85th of 159 counties.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 24 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 12°F on December 24, 2022.
Rainfall is about average for Georgia. The county gets about 52.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 11.9 days of an inch or more (88th of 159). Those downpours cluster in January, April and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 5.52 inches on September 17, 2020. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.54 inches, ending September 27, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 24 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
Georgia's 159 counties range widely in housing age; Schley ranks 89th, with 37% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 33% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
About 31% 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 33% 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 116 nights a year in Schley County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (74th 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 Schley County's occupied homes: 3% utility gas, 69% electric, 27% propane and under 1% wood. Propane heat is more common here than in most Georgia counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Schley County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Marion and Taylor get more pipe-freeze nights than Schley. Macon County has the oldest housing nearby, with 55% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Schley | Georgia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 13% | 15% | 94 of 159 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 37% | 38% | 89 of 159 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 33% | 27% | 53 of 159 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 33% | 21% | 26 of 159 |
| Vacant homes | 13% | 14% | 90 of 159 |
| Wood or propane heat | 27% | 7.1% | 10 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 | 88 of 159 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 24/yr | 29/yr | 91 of 159 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 116/yr | 112/yr | 74 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 Schley County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in January, 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