Buena Vista County, Iowa · Storm Lake
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Pipes freeze in Buena Vista County on about 72 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 45% of the stock here, are most at risk.
August brings the most downpours to Buena Vista County, part of 5.2 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Buena Vista County spike on heavy-rain days, about 5.2 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Buena Vista County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 3.08 inches, and about 88 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
12% of occupied homes in Buena Vista County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Iowa county median of 22.1%.
With 27 muggy nights a year, mold in Buena Vista County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 20,753 people live in Buena Vista County, 575 square miles in northwest Iowa, in roughly 8,293 homes. The county seat is Storm Lake, and Alta, Newell and Albert City round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1964.
43/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Buena Vista County ranks 70 of 99 Iowa counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Buena Vista County ranks highest compared with other Iowa counties.
Buena Vista is on the colder side of Iowa for pipes. From 2015–2024 it averaged 72 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 146 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 18th of 99 counties.
On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about -26°F, and in the stretch ending March 2019 the county went 33 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November to March, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 17 and the last spring freeze around Apr 23.
Buena Vista gets fewer downpours than most Iowa counties, but they still fill basements. About 5.2 days a year bring an inch or more (98th of 99), most often in August, out of 30.2 inches of total precipitation. On October 13, 2023, 3.08 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.24 inches (through August 19, 2015).
About 88 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Iowa's 99 counties range widely in housing age; Buena Vista ranks 44th, with 74% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 45% built before 1960 to 12% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 27 times a year here, close to the Iowa county median of 29. 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 Buena Vista County's occupied homes: 55% utility gas, 32% electric, 12% 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 Buena Vista County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Cherokee, Clay and Pocahontas get more pipe-freeze nights than Buena Vista. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Pocahontas County has the oldest housing nearby, with 86% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Buena Vista | Iowa median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 45% | 48% | 60 of 99 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 74% | 73% | 44 of 99 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 12% | 13% | 57 of 99 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.3% | 3.2% | 67 of 99 |
| Vacant homes | 9% | 9.5% | 58 of 99 |
| Wood or propane heat | 12% | 22% | 85 of 99 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 72/yr | 62/yr | 18 of 99 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.2/yr | 7.1/yr | 98 of 99 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 88/yr | 94/yr | 93 of 99 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 27/yr | 29/yr | 57 of 99 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Iowa county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Buena Vista County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, 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