McDonough County, Illinois · Macomb
Water spreading, a burst pipe, sewage, mold or smoke? Call to be connected with a restoration company that serves Macomb, Bushnell and Colchester. Start the steps below while you wait.
Answered 24/7 by a participating local provider. We're a referral service and don't do the work ourselves. How it works
Start here
Pick the closest match. These steps limit the damage and protect your insurance claim. Skip anything that isn't safe.
Pipes freeze in McDonough County on about 41 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 43% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 9.6 times a year here, most often in June. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in McDonough County spike on heavy-rain days, about 9.6 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 81 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
14% of occupied homes in McDonough County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Illinois county median of 16.5%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 47 times a year in McDonough County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
With 13,587 homes and around 26,920 residents, McDonough County is 589 square miles of western Illinois. Besides Macomb, the county seat, the biggest communities are Bushnell, Colchester and Blandinsville. Half the homes here were built before 1965, half after.
62/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated McDonough County ranks 13 of 102 Illinois counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where McDonough County ranks highest compared with other Illinois counties.
McDonough County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Illinois. From 2015–2024 it averaged 41 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 112 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 29th of 102 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 15 days below freezing (ending January 2018), and the low bottomed out near -17°F on January 31, 2019.
Most freezing nights fall from November to March, 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 Oct 23 and end around Apr 20.
Rainfall is about average for Illinois. The county gets about 39.4 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 9.6 days of an inch or more (35th of 102). Those downpours cluster in June, August and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.24 inches on August 29, 2018. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.28 inches, ending September 8, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 81 days a year. Each cycle melts and refreezes water at roof edges and in foundation cracks, which is how ice dams and basement seepage get started.
Housing
72% of homes in McDonough County predate 1980, above the Illinois county median of 65.9%, which ranks 31st of Illinois's 102 counties.
Before 1960 is when 43% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
Renters occupy 37% 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 47 times a year here, close to the Illinois county median of 51. 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 expectMain heating fuel in McDonough County's occupied homes: 53% utility gas, 32% electric, 12% propane and 2% 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 McDonough County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Henderson and Warren get more pipe-freeze nights than McDonough. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Warren County has the oldest housing nearby, with 84% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | McDonough | Illinois median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 43% | 38% | 41 of 102 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 72% | 66% | 31 of 102 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 14% | 15% | 56 of 102 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 5.7% | 5.6% | 50 of 102 |
| Vacant homes | 13% | 11% | 29 of 102 |
| Wood or propane heat | 14% | 17% | 65 of 102 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 41/yr | 35/yr | 29 of 102 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.6/yr | 8.4/yr | 35 of 102 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 81/yr | 81/yr | 46 of 102 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 47/yr | 51/yr | 63 of 102 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Illinois county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in McDonough County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in June, August and October.
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