Lawrence County, Mississippi · Monticello
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Pipes freeze in Lawrence County on about 2 nights a year, mostly midwinter. Older homes, 11% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 15.6 times a year here, most often in January. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Lawrence County gets about 15.6 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 25 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
28% of occupied homes in Lawrence County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Mississippi county median of 15.1%.
With 137 muggy nights a year, mold in Lawrence County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 5,783 homes and around 11,786 residents, Lawrence County is 431 square miles of southern Mississippi. The county seat is Monticello, and New Hebron and Silver Creek round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1982.
33/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Lawrence County ranks 81 of 82 Mississippi counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Lawrence County ranks highest compared with other Mississippi counties.
For frozen pipes, Lawrence County is a typical Mississippi county, which is still plenty. It averaged 25 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 2 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 47th.
Most freezing nights fall from midwinter, peaking in January. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor spigots before the first hard frost, and keep the heat at 55°F or higher if you'll be away.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 16 and the last spring freeze around Feb 28.
Lawrence gets fewer downpours than most Mississippi counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 61.5 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 15.6 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 60th of 82. January, April and May see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 6.15 inches, March 11, 2016. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 7.08 inches (through March 13, 2016).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 25 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
45% of homes in Lawrence County predate 1980, close to the Mississippi county median of 45.1%, which ranks 40th of Mississippi's 82 counties.
Housing age is mixed: 11% 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 37% 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.
31% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above 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 24% 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
Lawrence County averages 137 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in July. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Lawrence County homes break down as 8% utility gas, 64% electric, 22% propane and 5% 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 Lawrence County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Lawrence gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Marion County has the oldest housing nearby, with 49% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Lawrence | Mississippi median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 11% | 15% | 63 of 82 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 45% | 45% | 40 of 82 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 23% | 67 of 82 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 31% | 20% | 8 of 82 |
| Vacant homes | 24% | 17% | 8 of 82 |
| Wood or propane heat | 28% | 15% | 11 of 82 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 3/yr | 47 of 82 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 16/yr | 16/yr | 60 of 82 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 25/yr | 32/yr | 54 of 82 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 137/yr | 125/yr | 14 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 Lawrence County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in January, April and May.
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