Harvey County, Kansas · Newton
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Pipes freeze in Harvey County on about 32 nights a year, mostly November to February. Older homes, 38% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in May. Harvey County averages 7.9 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Harvey County gets about 7.9 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 88 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
9% of occupied homes in Harvey County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Kansas county median of 16.9%.
About 74 nights a year here stay at 65°F or warmer, so basements and crawl spaces can grow mold even without a leak.
Local risk profile
About 33,756 people live in Harvey County, 540 square miles in central Kansas, in roughly 14,656 homes. Newton is the county seat; Hesston, Halstead and North Newton are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1970.
45/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Harvey County ranks 69 of 105 Kansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Harvey County ranks highest compared with other Kansas counties.
Harvey County is milder than most of Kansas, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 32 nights a year at or below 20°F (76th of 105) and 103 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 13 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -16°F on February 16, 2021.
Most freezing nights fall from November to February, 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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 28 and the last spring freeze around Apr 10.
Rainfall is about average for Kansas. About 7.9 days a year bring an inch or more (42nd of 105), most often in May, out of 32.5 inches of total precipitation. On May 21, 2019, 3.79 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.9 inches (through May 9, 2019).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 88 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
Kansas's 105 counties range widely in housing age; Harvey ranks 81st, with 62% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 18% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
Renters occupy 30% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 74 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 Harvey County's occupied homes: 60% utility gas, 30% electric, 6% propane and 2% 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 Harvey County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Marion, McPherson and Reno get more pipe-freeze nights than Harvey. Reno County has the oldest housing nearby, with 75% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Harvey | Kansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 38% | 48% | 73 of 105 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 62% | 74% | 81 of 105 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 11% | 21 of 105 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.5% | 5.6% | 95 of 105 |
| Vacant homes | 6.5% | 15% | 100 of 105 |
| Wood or propane heat | 8.5% | 17% | 90 of 105 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 32/yr | 39/yr | 76 of 105 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.9/yr | 6.8/yr | 42 of 105 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 88/yr | 97/yr | 74 of 105 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 74/yr | 59/yr | 19 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 Harvey County: freezing from November to February, heavy rain in May, June 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