Todd County, Kentucky · Elkton
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Todd County averages 14 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 18% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 12.6 times a year here, most often in February. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
18% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
In Todd County, 5.45 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
31% of occupied homes in Todd County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Kentucky county median of 12.6%.
About 78 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 5,187 homes and around 12,469 residents, Todd County is 375 square miles of southwest Kentucky. The county seat is Elkton, and Guthrie, Trenton and Fairview round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1984.
43/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Todd County ranks 87 of 120 Kentucky counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Todd County ranks highest compared with other Kentucky counties.
Todd County is milder than most of Kentucky, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. From 2015–2024 it averaged 14 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 65 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 113th of 120 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 9 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -4°F on February 19, 2015.
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 6 and the last spring freeze around Mar 31.
Rainfall is about average for Kentucky. Of roughly 53.8 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 12.6 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 48th of 120. February, March and July see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 5.45 inches, July 7, 2016. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 7.13 inches (through July 7, 2016).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 58 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
Roughly 44% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Todd near the middle of Kentucky's 120 counties.
The mix runs from 18% built before 1960 to 26% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
30% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 14% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
Beyond water
About 78 nights a year in Todd County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (20th of 120 counties). July 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Todd County homes break down as 14% utility gas, 54% electric, 23% propane and 8% wood. Wood and propane heat are 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 Todd County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Muhlenberg gets more pipe-freeze nights than Todd. Muhlenberg County has the oldest housing nearby, with 54% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Todd | Kentucky median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 18% | 18% | 62 of 120 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 44% | 44% | 62 of 120 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 26% | 25% | 46 of 120 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 14% | 19% | 75 of 120 |
| Vacant homes | 12% | 13% | 72 of 120 |
| Wood or propane heat | 31% | 13% | 8 of 120 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 14/yr | 20/yr | 113 of 120 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 12/yr | 48 of 120 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 58/yr | 73/yr | 112 of 120 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 78/yr | 59/yr | 20 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 Todd County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in February, March 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