Elk County, Kansas · Howard
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Elk County averages 26 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 55% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 8.8 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 Elk County gets about 8.8 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Elk County, 5.97 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 Elk County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Kansas county median of 16.9%.
With 76 muggy nights a year, mold in Elk County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 2,453 people live in Elk County, 644 square miles in southeast Kansas, in roughly 1,491 homes. The county seat is Howard, and Moline, Longton and Grenola round out the largest towns. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1956.
58/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Elk County ranks 20 of 105 Kansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Elk County ranks highest compared with other Kansas counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Kansas, and pipes still freeze. From 2015–2024 it averaged 26 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 95 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 91st of 105 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 13 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -16°F on February 17, 2021. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
The freeze season here runs December to February, 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 28 and end around Apr 8.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Kansas. The county gets about 37.5 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 8.8 days of an inch or more (30th of 105). Those downpours cluster in May, June and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 5.97 inches on May 21, 2019. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.99 inches, ending May 21, 2019, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 82 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
Kansas's 105 counties range widely in housing age; Elk ranks 47th, with 74% of its homes built before 1980.
Before 1960 is when 55% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 11% 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.
With 33% 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 76 times a year here, above 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 Elk County's occupied homes: 53% utility gas, 18% electric, 20% propane and 7% 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 Elk County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Butler and Greenwood get more pipe-freeze nights than Elk. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Montgomery County has the oldest housing nearby, with 76% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Elk | Kansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 55% | 48% | 23 of 105 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 74% | 74% | 47 of 105 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 13% | 11% | 40 of 105 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 11% | 5.6% | 14 of 105 |
| Vacant homes | 33% | 15% | 1 of 105 |
| Wood or propane heat | 27% | 17% | 23 of 105 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 26/yr | 39/yr | 91 of 105 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.8/yr | 6.8/yr | 30 of 105 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 82/yr | 97/yr | 86 of 105 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 76/yr | 59/yr | 14 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 Elk County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in May, June and October.
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