Perry County, Mississippi · New Augusta
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With 10% of homes built before 1960 and about 1 hard-freeze night a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
January brings the most downpours to Perry County, part of 19.4 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
10% 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.
Perry County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 5.89 inches, and about 23 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
16% of occupied homes in Perry County heat mainly with wood or propane, close to the Mississippi county median of 15.1%.
About 135 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
About 11,449 people live in Perry County, 647 square miles in southeast Mississippi, in roughly 5,498 homes. The county seat is New Augusta, and Richton, Beaumont and Runnelstown round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1993.
42/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Perry County ranks 63 of 82 Mississippi counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Perry County ranks highest compared with other Mississippi counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Mississippi, and pipes still freeze. From 2015–2024 it averaged 1 night a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 23 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 75th of 82 counties.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 23 nights a year at or below 32°F, and that's exactly why they do damage: pipes in attics, exterior walls and slab-edge plumbing are rarely insulated. The coldest night in the record was about 13°F on January 17, 2018.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Mississippi. The county gets about 67.5 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 19.4 days of an inch or more (6th of 82). Those downpours cluster in January, March and April, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 5.89 inches on December 28, 2018. The worst three-day stretch dropped 7.1 inches, ending August 31, 2021, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 23 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
31% of homes in Perry County predate 1980, below the Mississippi county median of 45.1%, which ranks 71st of Mississippi's 82 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 37% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 32% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 29% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 135 times a year here, close to 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 expectMain heating fuel in Perry County's occupied homes: 4% utility gas, 80% electric, 12% propane and 4% wood. Wood heat is more common here than in most Mississippi counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Perry County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Forrest, Jones and Wayne get more pipe-freeze nights than Perry. Jones County has the oldest housing nearby, with 48% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Perry | Mississippi median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 9.9% | 15% | 68 of 82 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 31% | 45% | 71 of 82 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 37% | 23% | 10 of 82 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 29% | 20% | 13 of 82 |
| Vacant homes | 16% | 17% | 51 of 82 |
| Wood or propane heat | 16% | 15% | 38 of 82 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 1/yr | 3/yr | 75 of 82 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 19/yr | 16/yr | 6 of 82 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 23/yr | 32/yr | 67 of 82 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 135/yr | 125/yr | 19 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 Perry County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in January, March and April.
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