Todd County, Minnesota · Long Prairie
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Todd County averages 96 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 34% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.8 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
34% 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, 2.66 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
45% of occupied homes in Todd County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Minnesota county median of 30%.
About 7 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 13,008 homes and around 25,575 residents, Todd County is 945 square miles of western Minnesota. The county seat is Long Prairie, and Staples, Browerville and Clarissa round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1975.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Todd County ranks 28 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Todd County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
Todd is on the colder side of Minnesota for pipes. From 2015–2024 it averaged 96 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 166 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 28th of 87 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 60 days below freezing (ending March 2019), and the low bottomed out near -37°F on January 31, 2019.
The freeze season here runs November to April, 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 Oct 11 and the last spring freeze around May 4.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Minnesota. Of roughly 28.9 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 5.8 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 27th of 87. May, July and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.66 inches, July 18, 2020. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.99 inches (through July 12, 2016).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 85 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 58% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Todd near the middle of Minnesota's 87 counties.
The mix runs from 34% built before 1960 to 21% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 9% 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.
22% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Beyond water
About 7 nights a year in Todd County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (62nd of 87 counties). August 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 30% utility gas, 19% electric, 33% propane and 12% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Minnesota 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
Cass, Douglas, Otter Tail and Wadena get more pipe-freeze nights than Todd. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Wadena County has the oldest housing nearby, with 58% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Todd | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 34% | 34% | 44 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 58% | 58% | 45 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 21% | 40 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.8% | 3.8% | 12 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 22% | 11% | 18 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 45% | 30% | 13 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 96/yr | 89/yr | 28 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.8/yr | 5.3/yr | 27 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 85/yr | 86/yr | 54 of 87 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 7/yr | 13/yr | 62 of 87 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Minnesota 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 November to April, heavy rain in May, July 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