Meade County, Kansas · Meade
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Pipes freeze in Meade County on about 39 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 52% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.1 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 Meade County spike on heavy-rain days, about 5.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 108 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
14% of occupied homes in Meade County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Kansas county median of 16.9%.
About 57 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
With 1,898 homes and around 3,903 residents, Meade County is 978 square miles of southwest Kansas. Besides Meade, the county seat, the biggest communities are Plains and Fowler. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1959.
48/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Meade County ranks 65 of 105 Kansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Meade County ranks highest compared with other Kansas counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Meade County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 39 nights a year at or below 20°F (51st of 105) and 119 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 12 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -14°F on December 19, 2016. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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 24 and end around Apr 9.
Meade gets fewer downpours than most Kansas counties, but they still fill basements. About 5.1 days a year bring an inch or more (76th of 105), most often in July, out of 23.3 inches of total precipitation. On June 12, 2015, 2.45 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.69 inches, ending July 30, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 108 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; Meade ranks 13th, with 83% of its homes built before 1980.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 52% predate 1960 and 4% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
With 21% 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 57 times a year here, close to 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Meade County homes break down as 66% utility gas, 19% electric, 13% propane and under 1% wood. Fires here are likelier to start in the kitchen or the wiring than in the furnace. After any fire, keep the HVAC off until ducts are checked, or soot will travel through the house.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Meade County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Ford, Gray, Haskell and Seward get more pipe-freeze nights than Meade. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Meade | Kansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 52% | 48% | 39 of 105 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 83% | 74% | 13 of 105 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 4.1% | 11% | 102 of 105 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6.8% | 5.6% | 43 of 105 |
| Vacant homes | 21% | 15% | 20 of 105 |
| Wood or propane heat | 14% | 17% | 68 of 105 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 39/yr | 39/yr | 51 of 105 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.1/yr | 6.8/yr | 76 of 105 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 108/yr | 97/yr | 35 of 105 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 57/yr | 59/yr | 55 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 Meade County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, June and July.
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