Morris County, Kansas · Council Grove
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Pipes freeze in Morris County on about 36 nights a year, mostly November to February. Older homes, 50% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 8.7 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Morris County spike on heavy-rain days, about 8.7 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 89 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
28% of occupied homes in Morris County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Kansas county median of 16.9%.
About 64 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 5,340 people live in Morris County, 695 square miles in eastern Kansas, in roughly 2,995 homes. The county seat is Council Grove, and Herington, White City and Dwight round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1960, half after.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Morris County ranks 33 of 105 Kansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Morris County ranks highest compared with other Kansas counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Morris County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 36 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 108 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 59th of 105 counties.
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 -18°F on February 16, 2021.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to February. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 26 and end around Apr 10.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Kansas. The county gets about 34.3 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 8.7 days of an inch or more (33rd 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 June 23, 2019. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.42 inches, ending May 9, 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 89 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
Roughly 66% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Morris among the newer housing stocks of Kansas's 105 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 17% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
Here 14% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
Beyond water
Morris County averages 64 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Morris County homes break down as 53% utility gas, 16% electric, 25% propane and 3% wood. Wood and propane heat are 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 Morris County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Morris gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Dickinson County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Morris | Kansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 50% | 48% | 45 of 105 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 66% | 74% | 71 of 105 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 17% | 11% | 22 of 105 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 14% | 5.6% | 6 of 105 |
| Vacant homes | 15% | 15% | 53 of 105 |
| Wood or propane heat | 28% | 17% | 17 of 105 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 36/yr | 39/yr | 59 of 105 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.7/yr | 6.8/yr | 33 of 105 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 89/yr | 97/yr | 70 of 105 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 64/yr | 59/yr | 40 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 Morris County: freezing from November to February, 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