Morgan County, Illinois · Jacksonville
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Pipes freeze in Morgan County on about 36 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 42% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 9 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Morgan County spike on heavy-rain days, about 9 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 83 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
15% of occupied homes in Morgan County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Illinois county median of 16.5%.
With 48 muggy nights a year, mold in Morgan County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
Morgan County covers 569 square miles of western Illinois, with about 33,021 residents and 15,016 homes. Jacksonville is the county seat; South Jacksonville, Waverly and Meredosia are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1965, half after.
55/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Morgan County ranks 34 of 102 Illinois counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Morgan County ranks highest compared with other Illinois counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Morgan County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 36 nights a year at or below 20°F (46th of 102) and 108 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 15 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -13°F on January 30, 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 16.
Rainfall is about average for Illinois. Of roughly 39.9 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 9 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 41st of 102. May, June and July see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.34 inches, April 30, 2017. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.8 inches, ending June 27, 2021, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 83 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
Roughly 73% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Morgan among the oldest housing stocks of Illinois's 102 counties.
Before 1960 is when 42% 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.
The Census counted 13% of homes as vacant, above the Illinois county median of 10.8%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
About 48 nights a year in Morgan County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (59th of 102 counties). July 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Morgan County it's 59% utility gas, 25% electric, 13% propane and 2% 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 Morgan County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Brown and Cass get more pipe-freeze nights than Morgan. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Greene County has the oldest housing nearby, with 76% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Morgan | Illinois median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 42% | 38% | 42 of 102 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 73% | 66% | 28 of 102 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 11% | 15% | 73 of 102 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6.8% | 5.6% | 43 of 102 |
| Vacant homes | 13% | 11% | 27 of 102 |
| Wood or propane heat | 15% | 17% | 61 of 102 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 36/yr | 35/yr | 46 of 102 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9/yr | 8.4/yr | 41 of 102 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 83/yr | 81/yr | 38 of 102 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 48/yr | 51/yr | 59 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 Morgan County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, June and July.
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