Vanderburgh County, Indiana · Evansville
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Vanderburgh County averages 18 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 41% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 12.6 times a year here, most often in March. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Vanderburgh County gets about 12.6 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Vanderburgh County, 3.09 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
2% of occupied homes in Vanderburgh County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Indiana county median of 17%.
With 82 muggy nights a year, mold in Vanderburgh County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 180,117 people live in Vanderburgh County, 233 square miles in southwest Indiana, in roughly 85,319 homes. The county seat is Evansville, and Highland, Melody Hill and Darmstadt round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1970, half after.
59/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Vanderburgh County ranks 14 of 92 Indiana counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Vanderburgh 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 18 nights a year at or below 20°F (91st of 92) and 76 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 13 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -5°F on December 23, 2022. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from December to February, 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 Nov 1 and end around Apr 3.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Indiana. Of roughly 48.7 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 12.6 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 10th of 92. March, April and July see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.09 inches, October 29, 2020. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.73 inches, ending June 30, 2020, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 64 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
63% of homes in Vanderburgh County predate 1980, above the Indiana county median of 58.2%, which ranks 34th of Indiana's 92 counties.
41% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
Renters occupy 35% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
About 82 nights a year in Vanderburgh County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (1st of 92 counties). March is the wettest month. 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 Vanderburgh County's occupied homes: 60% utility gas, 38% electric, 1% propane and under 1% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Vanderburgh County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Gibson and Warrick get more pipe-freeze nights than Vanderburgh. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Vanderburgh | Indiana median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 41% | 35% | 28 of 92 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 63% | 58% | 34 of 92 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 18% | 56 of 92 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.5% | 6.4% | 81 of 92 |
| Vacant homes | 8.3% | 9.2% | 54 of 92 |
| Wood or propane heat | 1.6% | 17% | 92 of 92 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 18/yr | 33/yr | 91 of 92 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 7.8/yr | 10 of 92 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 64/yr | 84/yr | 92 of 92 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 82/yr | 38/yr | 1 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 Vanderburgh County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in March, April 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