Pike County, Indiana · Petersburg
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Pike County averages 24 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to February, and 39% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 11.5 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 Pike County gets about 11.5 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 78 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
28% of occupied homes in Pike 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 61 times a year in Pike County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 12,154 people live in Pike County, 334 square miles in southwest Indiana, in roughly 5,589 homes. The county seat is Petersburg, and Winslow, Otwell and Arthur round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1973.
57/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Pike County ranks 21 of 92 Indiana counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Pike County ranks highest compared with other Indiana counties.
Pike County is milder than most of Indiana, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 24 nights a year at or below 20°F (78th of 92) and 91 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On December 23, 2022 the low fell to about -7°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 13 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 1 and the last spring freeze around Apr 10.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Indiana. The county gets about 49 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 11.5 days of an inch or more (18th of 92). Those downpours cluster in January, March and July, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.01 inches on September 9, 2018. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.48 inches (through September 9, 2018).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 78 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
Indiana's 92 counties range widely in housing age; Pike ranks 37th, with 62% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 39% built before 1960 to 19% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 10% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 61 times a year here, above the Indiana county median of 38. 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 expectMain heating fuel in Pike County's occupied homes: 41% utility gas, 31% electric, 24% propane and 4% 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 Pike County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Daviess, Dubois and Knox get more pipe-freeze nights than Pike. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Knox County has the oldest housing nearby, with 70% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Pike | Indiana median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 39% | 35% | 33 of 92 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 62% | 58% | 37 of 92 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 18% | 42 of 92 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 10% | 6.4% | 23 of 92 |
| Vacant homes | 10% | 9.2% | 33 of 92 |
| Wood or propane heat | 28% | 17% | 18 of 92 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 24/yr | 33/yr | 78 of 92 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 12/yr | 7.8/yr | 18 of 92 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 78/yr | 84/yr | 73 of 92 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 61/yr | 38/yr | 9 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 Pike County: freezing from November to February, heavy rain in January, 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