Noble County, Indiana · Albion
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Pipes freeze in Noble County on about 39 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 37% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in July. Noble County averages 5 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
37% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Noble County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.6 inches, and about 88 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
29% of occupied homes in Noble County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Indiana county median of 17%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 25 times a year in Noble County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Noble County covers 411 square miles of northeast Indiana, with about 47,495 residents and 20,297 homes. The county seat is Albion, and Kendallville, Ligonier and Avilla round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1976, half after.
46/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Noble County ranks 63 of 92 Indiana counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Noble County ranks highest compared with other Indiana counties.
Noble County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Indiana. It averaged 122 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 39 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 92 Indiana counties that's 6th.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -19°F, and in the stretch ending March 2015 the county went 19 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
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 26 and end around Apr 26.
Noble gets fewer downpours than most Indiana counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 37.6 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 5 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 89th of 92. June, July and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.6 inches, September 28, 2019. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.79 inches, ending July 7, 2022, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 88 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
Roughly 54% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Noble near the middle of Indiana's 92 counties.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 37% predate 1960 and 18% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
About 28% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
7% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, close to the Indiana county median of 6.4%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
Beyond water
About 25 nights a year in Noble County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (90th of 92 counties). May is the wettest month. 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, Noble County homes break down as 42% utility gas, 25% electric, 26% propane and 3% wood. Propane heat is 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 Noble County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Noble gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Allen County has the oldest housing nearby, with 55% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Noble | Indiana median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 37% | 35% | 40 of 92 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 54% | 58% | 55 of 92 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 18% | 47 of 92 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.1% | 6.4% | 39 of 92 |
| Vacant homes | 10% | 9.2% | 30 of 92 |
| Wood or propane heat | 29% | 17% | 15 of 92 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 39/yr | 33/yr | 6 of 92 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5/yr | 7.8/yr | 89 of 92 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 88/yr | 84/yr | 12 of 92 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 25/yr | 38/yr | 90 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 Noble County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in June, July and August.
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