Metcalfe County, Kentucky · Edmonton
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Pipes freeze in Metcalfe County on about 20 nights a year, mostly November to February. Older homes, 16% of the stock here, are most at risk.
February brings the most downpours to Metcalfe County, part of 13.1 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Metcalfe County spike on heavy-rain days, about 13.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Metcalfe County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 3.38 inches, and about 74 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
18% of occupied homes in Metcalfe County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Kentucky county median of 12.6%.
About 55 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
Metcalfe County covers 290 square miles of southern Kentucky, with about 10,425 residents and 4,735 homes. Edmonton is the county seat; Summer Shade is the next largest community. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1986.
49/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Metcalfe County ranks 70 of 120 Kentucky counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Metcalfe County ranks highest compared with other Kentucky counties.
For frozen pipes, Metcalfe County is a typical Kentucky county, which is still plenty. From 2015–2024 it averaged 20 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 83 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 50th of 120 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 9 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -10°F on February 19, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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 14.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Kentucky. About 13.1 days a year bring an inch or more (38th of 120), most often in February, out of 55.4 inches of total precipitation. On September 2, 2017, 3.38 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 6.52 inches (through September 2, 2017).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 74 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
40% of homes in Metcalfe County predate 1980, below the Kentucky county median of 44.1%, which ranks 78th of Kentucky's 120 counties.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 16% predate 1960 and 26% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
34% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
Here 29% 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
Metcalfe County averages 55 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in February. 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 Metcalfe County's occupied homes: 31% utility gas, 51% electric, 8% propane and 10% wood. Wood heat is more common here than in most Kentucky 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 Metcalfe County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Metcalfe gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Monroe County has the oldest housing nearby, with 57% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Metcalfe | Kentucky median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 16% | 18% | 78 of 120 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 40% | 44% | 78 of 120 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 26% | 25% | 52 of 120 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 29% | 19% | 19 of 120 |
| Vacant homes | 13% | 13% | 57 of 120 |
| Wood or propane heat | 18% | 13% | 46 of 120 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 20/yr | 20/yr | 50 of 120 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 12/yr | 38 of 120 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 74/yr | 73/yr | 44 of 120 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 55/yr | 59/yr | 74 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 Metcalfe County: freezing from November to February, heavy rain in February, 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