Harrison County, Indiana · Corydon
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Harrison County averages 23 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to February, and 21% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 13.3 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 Harrison County spike on heavy-rain days, about 13.3 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 78 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
27% of occupied homes in Harrison County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Indiana county median of 17%.
About 59 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 16,953 homes and around 39,859 residents, Harrison County is 484 square miles of southern Indiana. Corydon is the county seat; Palmyra, Lanesville and New Salisbury are the next largest communities. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1990.
45/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Harrison County ranks 65 of 92 Indiana counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Harrison County ranks highest compared with other Indiana counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Indiana, and pipes still freeze. From 2015–2024 it averaged 23 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 88 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 82nd of 92 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 13 days below freezing (ending January 2018), and the low bottomed out near -12°F on February 20, 2015.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to February. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 31 and end around Apr 11.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Indiana. About 13.3 days a year bring an inch or more (3rd of 92), most often in July, out of 52.6 inches of total precipitation. On April 3, 2015, 3.73 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.73 inches, ending August 2, 2020, 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
Indiana's 92 counties range widely in housing age; Harrison ranks 87th, with 40% of its homes built before 1980.
Growth since 2000 added 28% of today's homes. In houses that new, the weak points are washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, water heaters and sump pumps rather than the pipes in the walls.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 32% 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.
Here 14% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 59 times a year here, above the Indiana county median of 38. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Harrison County it's 18% utility gas, 52% electric, 22% propane and 6% 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 Harrison County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Crawford and Washington get more pipe-freeze nights than Harrison. Floyd County has the oldest housing nearby, with 50% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Harrison | Indiana median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 21% | 35% | 79 of 92 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 40% | 58% | 87 of 92 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 28% | 18% | 9 of 92 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 14% | 6.4% | 10 of 92 |
| Vacant homes | 8.6% | 9.2% | 51 of 92 |
| Wood or propane heat | 27% | 17% | 19 of 92 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 23/yr | 33/yr | 82 of 92 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 7.8/yr | 3 of 92 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 78/yr | 84/yr | 73 of 92 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 59/yr | 38/yr | 13 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 Harrison County: freezing from November to February, 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