Vermillion County, Indiana · Newport
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Pipes freeze in Vermillion County on about 34 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 49% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in June. Vermillion County averages 6.8 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Vermillion County spike on heavy-rain days, about 6.8 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Vermillion County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.95 inches, and about 85 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
19% of occupied homes in Vermillion County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Indiana county median of 17%.
With 42 muggy nights a year, mold in Vermillion County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 15,421 people live in Vermillion County, 257 square miles in western Indiana, in roughly 7,337 homes. The county seat is Newport, and Clinton, Fairview Park and Cayuga round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1962.
63/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Vermillion County ranks 6 of 92 Indiana counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Vermillion County ranks highest compared with other Indiana counties.
For frozen pipes, Vermillion County is a typical Indiana county, which is still plenty. From 2015–2024 it averaged 34 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 108 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 37th of 92 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 16 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -14°F on January 31, 2019.
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 23 and the last spring freeze around Apr 21.
Rainfall is about average for Indiana. The county gets about 40.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.8 days of an inch or more (56th of 92). Those downpours cluster in April, June and July, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.95 inches on December 27, 2015. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.22 inches (through December 29, 2015).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 85 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; Vermillion ranks 20th, with 68% of its homes built before 1980.
49% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 8% 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
Vermillion County averages 42 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in June. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Vermillion County it's 38% utility gas, 42% electric, 15% propane and 4% wood. Wood 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 Vermillion County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Fountain and Warren get more pipe-freeze nights than Vermillion. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Vermillion | Indiana median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 49% | 35% | 12 of 92 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 68% | 58% | 20 of 92 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 12% | 18% | 75 of 92 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.5% | 6.4% | 38 of 92 |
| Vacant homes | 10% | 9.2% | 35 of 92 |
| Wood or propane heat | 19% | 17% | 40 of 92 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 34/yr | 33/yr | 37 of 92 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.8/yr | 7.8/yr | 56 of 92 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 85/yr | 84/yr | 30 of 92 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 42/yr | 38/yr | 34 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 Vermillion 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