Parke County, Indiana · Rockville
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Pipes freeze in Parke County on about 34 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 37% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 6.9 times a year here, most often in June. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Parke County gets about 6.9 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 84 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
31% of occupied homes in Parke 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 40 times a year in Parke County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 16,406 people live in Parke County, 445 square miles in western Indiana, in roughly 7,657 homes. Rockville is the county seat; Montezuma, Rosedale and Mecca are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1972.
53/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Parke County ranks 38 of 92 Indiana counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Parke County ranks highest compared with other Indiana counties.
For frozen pipes, Parke County is a typical Indiana county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 34 nights a year at or below 20°F (37th of 92) and 109 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -14°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 16 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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 24 and the last spring freeze around Apr 21.
Rainfall is about average for Indiana. The county gets about 41.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.9 days of an inch or more (55th of 92). Those downpours cluster in April, June and July, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.59 inches on September 8, 2018. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.79 inches (through September 9, 2018).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 84 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 61% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Parke near the middle of Indiana's 92 counties.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 37% predate 1960 and 21% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 13% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
20% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Beyond water
Parke County averages 40 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in June. 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 expectMain heating fuel in Parke County's occupied homes: 33% utility gas, 33% electric, 22% propane and 9% 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 Parke County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Fountain, Montgomery and Putnam get more pipe-freeze nights than Parke. Fountain County has the oldest housing nearby, with 68% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Parke | Indiana median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 37% | 35% | 38 of 92 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 61% | 58% | 38 of 92 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 18% | 31 of 92 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 13% | 6.4% | 13 of 92 |
| Vacant homes | 20% | 9.2% | 6 of 92 |
| Wood or propane heat | 31% | 17% | 12 of 92 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 34/yr | 33/yr | 37 of 92 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.9/yr | 7.8/yr | 55 of 92 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 84/yr | 84/yr | 34 of 92 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 40/yr | 38/yr | 40 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 Parke County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in April, 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