Decatur County, Indiana · Greensburg
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Decatur County averages 28 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 36% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 9.1 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Decatur County gets about 9.1 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Decatur County, 3.2 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
22% of occupied homes in Decatur County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Indiana county median of 17%.
With 42 muggy nights a year, mold in Decatur County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 26,422 people live in Decatur County, 373 square miles in eastern Indiana, in roughly 11,685 homes. The county seat is Greensburg, and Westport, St. Paul and Lake Santee round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1973, half after.
49/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Decatur County ranks 48 of 92 Indiana counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Decatur County ranks highest compared with other Indiana counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Indiana, and pipes still freeze. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 28 nights a year at or below 20°F (66th of 92) and 98 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 14 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -10°F on February 21, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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 29 and end around Apr 18.
Rainfall is about average for Indiana. The county gets about 47.5 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 9.1 days of an inch or more (32nd of 92). Those downpours cluster in February, March and July, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.2 inches on June 19, 2021. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.27 inches, ending September 10, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 78 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
59% of homes in Decatur County predate 1980, close to the Indiana county median of 58.2%, which ranks 44th of Indiana's 92 counties.
Housing age is mixed: 36% of homes are pre-1960 and 18% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 24% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 42 times a year here, above the Indiana county median of 38. 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 Decatur County's occupied homes: 38% utility gas, 39% electric, 18% propane and 4% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Indiana norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Decatur County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Franklin and Rush get more pipe-freeze nights than Decatur. Rush County has the oldest housing nearby, with 73% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Decatur | Indiana median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 36% | 35% | 44 of 92 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 59% | 58% | 44 of 92 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 18% | 53 of 92 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 3% | 6.4% | 74 of 92 |
| Vacant homes | 8.3% | 9.2% | 54 of 92 |
| Wood or propane heat | 22% | 17% | 36 of 92 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 28/yr | 33/yr | 66 of 92 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.1/yr | 7.8/yr | 32 of 92 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 78/yr | 84/yr | 73 of 92 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 42/yr | 38/yr | 34 of 92 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Indiana county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Decatur County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in February, March 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