Decatur County, Kansas · Oberlin
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Decatur County averages 60 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 59% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 3.3 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Decatur County gets about 3.3 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Decatur County, 2.79 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
27% of occupied homes in Decatur County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Kansas county median of 16.9%.
With 24 muggy nights a year, mold in Decatur County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 2,726 people live in Decatur County, 894 square miles in northwest Kansas, in roughly 1,634 homes. The county seat is Oberlin, and Norcatur, Jennings and Dresden round out the largest towns. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1953.
60/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Decatur County ranks 14 of 105 Kansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Decatur County ranks highest compared with other Kansas counties.
Decatur County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Kansas. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 60 nights a year at or below 20°F (2nd of 105) and 146 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 February 2021. The coldest night reached about -22°F on February 15, 2021. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 17 and end around Apr 26.
Decatur gets fewer downpours than most Kansas counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 20.7 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 3.3 days of an inch or more (92nd of 105). Those downpours cluster in May, July and August, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.79 inches on April 17, 2016. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.31 inches, ending April 18, 2016, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 125 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
86% of homes in Decatur County predate 1980, above the Kansas county median of 73.7%, which ranks 6th of Kansas's 105 counties.
59% 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.
With 19% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 24 times a year here, below the Kansas county median of 59. 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 expectMain heating fuel in Decatur County's occupied homes: 67% utility gas, 6% electric, 24% propane and 3% wood. Propane heat is above the Kansas 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 Decatur County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Thomas gets more pipe-freeze nights than Decatur. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Decatur | Kansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 59% | 48% | 14 of 105 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 86% | 74% | 6 of 105 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 6.3% | 11% | 85 of 105 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.9% | 5.6% | 89 of 105 |
| Vacant homes | 19% | 15% | 29 of 105 |
| Wood or propane heat | 27% | 17% | 25 of 105 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 60/yr | 39/yr | 2 of 105 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 3.3/yr | 6.8/yr | 92 of 105 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 125/yr | 97/yr | 8 of 105 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 24/yr | 59/yr | 97 of 105 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Kansas county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Decatur 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