Pottawatomie County, Kansas · Westmoreland
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With 27% of homes built before 1960 and about 40 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
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 Pottawatomie 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 Pottawatomie County, 3.26 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
25% of occupied homes in Pottawatomie County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Kansas county median of 16.9%.
About 62 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 26,204 people live in Pottawatomie County, 841 square miles in northeast Kansas, in roughly 10,214 homes. Besides Westmoreland, the county seat, the biggest communities are Wamego, St. Marys and St. George. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1987.
46/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Pottawatomie County ranks 68 of 105 Kansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Pottawatomie County ranks highest compared with other Kansas counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Pottawatomie County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 40 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 115 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 46th of 105 counties.
On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about -19°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 13 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
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 26 and end around Apr 13.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Kansas. The county gets about 34.2 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 September, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.26 inches on June 5, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.1 inches, ending June 6, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 93 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Kansas's 105 counties range widely in housing age; Pottawatomie ranks 102nd, with 43% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 35% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
Here 10% 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
Pottawatomie County averages 62 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30 to 50%. Basements can pass 60% on their own in summer, so a dehumidifier matters even without a leak, and anything wet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Pottawatomie County homes break down as 53% utility gas, 22% electric, 21% propane and 4% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than in most Kansas counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Pottawatomie County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Jackson, Marshall and Nemaha get more pipe-freeze nights than Pottawatomie. Marshall County has the oldest housing nearby, with 74% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Pottawatomie | Kansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 27% | 48% | 93 of 105 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 43% | 74% | 102 of 105 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 35% | 11% | 2 of 105 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 10% | 5.6% | 19 of 105 |
| Vacant homes | 8.2% | 15% | 90 of 105 |
| Wood or propane heat | 25% | 17% | 28 of 105 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 40/yr | 39/yr | 46 of 105 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.8/yr | 6.8/yr | 30 of 105 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 93/yr | 97/yr | 61 of 105 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 62/yr | 59/yr | 48 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 Pottawatomie County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, June and September.
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