Des Moines County, Iowa · Burlington
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Pipes freeze in Des Moines County on about 45 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 51% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 8.2 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Des Moines County spike on heavy-rain days, about 8.2 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
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.
12% of occupied homes in Des Moines County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Iowa county median of 22.1%.
With 44 muggy nights a year, mold in Des Moines County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
Des Moines County covers 416 square miles of southeast Iowa, with about 38,487 residents and 18,802 homes. Burlington is the county seat; West Burlington, Mediapolis and Danville are the next largest communities. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1959.
55/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Des Moines County ranks 33 of 99 Iowa counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Des Moines County ranks highest compared with other Iowa counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Iowa, and pipes still freeze. From 2015–2024 it averaged 45 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 119 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 98th of 99 counties.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -23°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 15 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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 25 and end around Apr 21.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Iowa. About 8.2 days a year bring an inch or more (15th of 99), most often in July, out of 37.1 inches of total precipitation. On May 29, 2019, 2.82 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.23 inches, ending September 30, 2019, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
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 75% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Des Moines near the middle of Iowa's 99 counties.
Housing age is mixed: 51% of homes are pre-1960 and 11% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
Beyond water
Des Moines County averages 44 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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 Des Moines County's occupied homes: 68% utility gas, 19% electric, 12% propane and under 1% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Des Moines County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Henry and Louisa get more pipe-freeze nights than Des Moines. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Lee County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Des Moines | Iowa median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 51% | 48% | 36 of 99 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 75% | 73% | 36 of 99 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 11% | 13% | 71 of 99 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 4.5% | 3.2% | 25 of 99 |
| Vacant homes | 8.6% | 9.5% | 61 of 99 |
| Wood or propane heat | 12% | 22% | 84 of 99 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 45/yr | 62/yr | 98 of 99 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.2/yr | 7.1/yr | 15 of 99 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 84/yr | 94/yr | 97 of 99 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 44/yr | 29/yr | 3 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 Des Moines County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, July and September.
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