Fayette County, Iowa · West Union
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Pipes freeze in Fayette County on about 71 nights a year, mostly November to April. Older homes, 56% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in June. Fayette County averages 9.1 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Fayette County spike on heavy-rain days, about 9.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 97 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
34% of occupied homes in Fayette County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Iowa county median of 22.1%.
With 18 muggy nights a year, mold in Fayette County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
Fayette County covers 731 square miles of northeast Iowa, with about 19,288 residents and 9,320 homes. West Union is the county seat; Oelwein, Fayette and Elgin are the next largest communities. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1954.
75/100 Water Damage Risk Index: High Fayette County ranks 2 of 99 Iowa counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Fayette County ranks highest compared with other Iowa counties.
Fayette County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Iowa. From 2015–2024 it averaged 71 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 154 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 23rd of 99 counties.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -32°F, and in the stretch ending February 2019 the county went 19 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November to April, 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 14 and end around May 2.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Iowa. About 9.1 days a year bring an inch or more (3rd of 99), most often in June, out of 38.6 inches of total precipitation. On July 22, 2017, 5.34 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.38 inches, ending July 22, 2017, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 97 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; Fayette ranks 38th, with 75% of its homes built before 1980.
56% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 18 times a year here, below the Iowa county median of 29. 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 Fayette County it's 50% utility gas, 14% electric, 29% propane and 4% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Fayette County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Chickasaw gets more pipe-freeze nights than Fayette. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Fayette | Iowa median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 56% | 48% | 15 of 99 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 75% | 73% | 38 of 99 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 10% | 13% | 75 of 99 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 5.6% | 3.2% | 16 of 99 |
| Vacant homes | 11% | 9.5% | 36 of 99 |
| Wood or propane heat | 34% | 22% | 18 of 99 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 71/yr | 62/yr | 23 of 99 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.1/yr | 7.1/yr | 3 of 99 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 97/yr | 94/yr | 11 of 99 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 18/yr | 29/yr | 89 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 Fayette County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in June, 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