Terrell County, Georgia · Dawson
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Pipes freeze in Terrell County on about 1 night a year, mostly midwinter. Older homes, 30% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in December. Terrell County averages 13.1 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Terrell County spike on heavy-rain days, about 13.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
9% of occupied homes in Terrell County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Georgia county median of 7.1%.
About 133 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
With 4,252 homes and around 8,850 residents, Terrell County is 336 square miles of southwest Georgia. Besides Dawson, the county seat, the biggest communities are Bronwood, Sasser and Parrott. Half the homes here were built before 1979, half after.
71/100 Water Damage Risk Index: High Terrell County ranks 7 of 159 Georgia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Terrell County ranks highest compared with other Georgia counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Terrell 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 18 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 85th of 159 counties.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 18 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.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Georgia. The county gets about 53.4 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 13.1 days of an inch or more (41st of 159). Those downpours cluster in January, April and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.09 inches on September 17, 2020. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.99 inches, ending September 17, 2020, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Housing
52% of homes in Terrell County predate 1980, above the Georgia county median of 38.4%, which ranks 20th of Georgia's 159 counties.
30% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 33% 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 16% 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.
With 20% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Renters occupy 38% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 133 times a year here, above the Georgia county median of 112. Mold grows when indoor humidity stays above about 60%, the EPA's ceiling. A basement dehumidifier set to 50% and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours prevents most problems.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Terrell County homes break down as 11% utility gas, 78% electric, 8% propane and 1% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Terrell County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Terrell 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 | Terrell | Georgia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 30% | 15% | 3 of 159 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 52% | 38% | 20 of 159 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 15% | 27% | 152 of 159 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 16% | 21% | 101 of 159 |
| Vacant homes | 20% | 14% | 30 of 159 |
| Wood or propane heat | 8.9% | 7.1% | 71 of 159 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 1/yr | 2/yr | 85 of 159 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 12/yr | 41 of 159 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 18/yr | 29/yr | 110 of 159 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 133/yr | 112/yr | 28 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 Terrell 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