Hickman County, Kentucky · Clinton
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Pipes freeze in Hickman County on about 14 nights a year, mostly December to February. Older homes, 24% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 14.7 times a year here, most often in March. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Hickman County gets about 14.7 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 57 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
38% of occupied homes in Hickman County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Kentucky county median of 12.6%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 90 times a year in Hickman County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
With 2,156 homes and around 4,439 residents, Hickman County is 242 square miles of southwest Kentucky. The county seat is Clinton, and Columbus is the other large town. The county's median home was built in 1975.
61/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Hickman County ranks 25 of 120 Kentucky counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Hickman County ranks highest compared with other Kentucky counties.
Hickman County is milder than most of Kentucky, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. It averaged 66 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 14 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 120 Kentucky counties that's 113th.
On December 23, 2022 the low fell to about -4°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 10 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 5 and the last spring freeze around Mar 28.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Kentucky. The county gets about 54.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 14.7 days of an inch or more (8th of 120). Those downpours cluster in January, February and March, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.45 inches on October 29, 2020. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 6.82 inches (through August 5, 2023).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 57 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
Kentucky's 120 counties range widely in housing age; Hickman ranks 21st, with 55% of its homes built before 1980.
Before 1960 is when 24% 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.
About 26% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
16% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, close to the Kentucky county median of 18.5%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
With 20% 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
About 90 nights a year in Hickman County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (5th of 120 counties). March is the wettest month. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Hickman County it's 29% utility gas, 33% electric, 34% propane and 4% wood. Propane heat is above the Kentucky 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 Hickman County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Graves gets more pipe-freeze nights than Hickman. Fulton County has the oldest housing nearby, with 66% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Hickman | Kentucky median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 24% | 18% | 34 of 120 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 55% | 44% | 21 of 120 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 25% | 101 of 120 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 16% | 19% | 69 of 120 |
| Vacant homes | 20% | 13% | 18 of 120 |
| Wood or propane heat | 38% | 13% | 2 of 120 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 14/yr | 20/yr | 113 of 120 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 15/yr | 12/yr | 8 of 120 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 57/yr | 73/yr | 115 of 120 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 90/yr | 59/yr | 5 of 120 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Kentucky county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Hickman County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in January, February and March.
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