Macomb County, Michigan · Mount Clemens
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With 25% of homes built before 1960 and about 34 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
August brings the most downpours to Macomb County, part of 5.2 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
25% 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 Macomb County, 3.28 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
2% of occupied homes in Macomb County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Michigan county median of 29%.
About 37 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
Macomb County covers 479 square miles of southeast Michigan, with about 879,853 residents and 373,413 homes. Mount Clemens is the county seat; Warren, Sterling Heights and St. Clair Shores are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1975.
43/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Macomb County ranks 58 of 83 Michigan counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Macomb County ranks highest compared with other Michigan counties.
Macomb County is milder than most of Michigan, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 34 nights a year at or below 20°F (82nd of 83) and 111 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 21 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in March 2015. The coldest night reached about -15°F on February 20, 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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 7 and the last spring freeze around Apr 26.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Michigan. The county gets about 35.5 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 5.2 days of an inch or more (13th of 83). Those downpours cluster in May, June and August, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.28 inches on June 26, 2021. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 3.9 inches (through September 24, 2021).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 76 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
Michigan's 83 counties range widely in housing age; Macomb ranks 43rd, with 58% of its homes built before 1980.
Housing age is mixed: 25% of homes are pre-1960 and 18% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 24% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
Renters occupy 25% 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
Macomb County averages 37 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in August. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Macomb County it's 88% utility gas, 9% electric, 2% propane and under 1% 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 Macomb County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Every neighboring county gets more pipe-freeze nights than Macomb. Wayne County has the oldest housing nearby, with 80% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Macomb | Michigan median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 25% | 32% | 64 of 83 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 58% | 58% | 43 of 83 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 16% | 30 of 83 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 3.6% | 7.3% | 76 of 83 |
| Vacant homes | 3.9% | 20% | 83 of 83 |
| Wood or propane heat | 1.9% | 29% | 81 of 83 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 34/yr | 54/yr | 82 of 83 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.2/yr | 3.9/yr | 13 of 83 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 76/yr | 95/yr | 82 of 83 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 37/yr | 10/yr | 1 of 83 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Michigan county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Macomb County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, June and August.
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