Washington County, Maryland · Hagerstown
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Washington County averages 22 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 34% of its homes predate 1960.
Basements flood here mostly in September. Washington County averages 6.7 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Washington County spike on heavy-rain days, about 6.7 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.
8% of occupied homes in Washington County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Maryland county median of 9.3%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 42 times a year in Washington County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Washington County covers 458 square miles of northern Maryland, with about 155,709 residents and 64,145 homes. The county seat is Hagerstown, and Halfway, Robinwood and Fountainhead-Orchard Hills round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1974, half after.
58/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Washington County ranks 5 of 23 Maryland counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Washington County ranks highest compared with other Maryland counties.
Washington County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Maryland. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 22 nights a year at or below 20°F (3rd of 23) and 100 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 13 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -1°F on February 24, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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 29 and end around Apr 12.
Washington gets fewer downpours than most Maryland counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 40.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.7 days of an inch or more (21st of 23). Those downpours cluster in July, September and November, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.52 inches on September 2, 2021. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.83 inches, ending September 10, 2018, 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
57% of homes in Washington County predate 1980, above the Maryland county median of 43.9%, which ranks 3rd of Maryland's 23 counties.
34% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
23% 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.
Renters occupy 33% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Washington County averages 42 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, Washington County homes break down as 21% utility gas, 54% electric, 5% propane and 3% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Washington County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Allegany gets more pipe-freeze nights than Washington. Allegany County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Washington | Maryland median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 34% | 20% | 3 of 23 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 57% | 44% | 3 of 23 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 20% | 23% | 20 of 23 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.3% | 2.6% | 14 of 23 |
| Vacant homes | 6.7% | 7.7% | 14 of 23 |
| Wood or propane heat | 7.9% | 9.3% | 15 of 23 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 22/yr | 12/yr | 3 of 23 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.7/yr | 9.3/yr | 21 of 23 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 89/yr | 70/yr | 3 of 23 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 42/yr | 76/yr | 21 of 23 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Maryland county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Washington County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in July, September and November.
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