Choctaw County, Mississippi · Ackerman
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With 17% of homes built before 1960 and about 4 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
February brings the most downpours to Choctaw County, part of 15.8 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Choctaw County spike on heavy-rain days, about 15.8 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Choctaw County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.33 inches, and about 44 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
39% of occupied homes in Choctaw County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Mississippi county median of 15.1%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 111 times a year in Choctaw County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Choctaw County covers 418 square miles of central Mississippi, with about 8,118 residents and 4,375 homes. Besides Ackerman, the county seat, the biggest communities are Weir and French Camp. The county's median home was built in 1980.
54/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Choctaw County ranks 31 of 82 Mississippi counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Choctaw County ranks highest compared with other Mississippi counties.
Choctaw is on the colder side of Mississippi for pipes. It averaged 45 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 4 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 82 Mississippi counties that's 17th.
On December 23, 2022 the low fell to about 6°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 3 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs January, 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 12 and the last spring freeze around Mar 20.
Rainfall is about average for Mississippi. About 15.8 days a year bring an inch or more (52nd of 82), most often in February, out of 57.5 inches of total precipitation. On August 31, 2021, 4.33 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 6.35 inches (through February 13, 2020).
About 44 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
51% of homes in Choctaw County predate 1980, above the Mississippi county median of 45.1%, which ranks 17th of Mississippi's 82 counties.
The mix runs from 17% built before 1960 to 19% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
About 30% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
19% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, close to the Mississippi county median of 20%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
With 21% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 111 times a year here, below the Mississippi county median of 125. 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 Choctaw County it's 22% utility gas, 38% electric, 35% propane and 4% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Choctaw County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Choctaw gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Winston County has the oldest housing nearby, with 54% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Choctaw | Mississippi median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 17% | 15% | 27 of 82 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 51% | 45% | 17 of 82 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 23% | 61 of 82 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 19% | 20% | 48 of 82 |
| Vacant homes | 21% | 17% | 18 of 82 |
| Wood or propane heat | 39% | 15% | 3 of 82 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 4/yr | 3/yr | 17 of 82 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 16/yr | 16/yr | 52 of 82 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 44/yr | 32/yr | 12 of 82 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 111/yr | 125/yr | 65 of 82 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Mississippi county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Choctaw County: freezing from January, heavy rain in February, April and December.
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