Dunklin County, Missouri · Kennett
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Dunklin County averages 10 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 30% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 13.6 times a year here, most often in March. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
30% 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 Dunklin 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.
9% of occupied homes in Dunklin County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
About 102 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 13,447 homes and around 27,493 residents, Dunklin County is 542 square miles of southeast Missouri. The county seat is Kennett, and Malden, Campbell and Senath round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1972.
58/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Dunklin County ranks 29 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Dunklin County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
Dunklin County is milder than most of Missouri, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. From 2015–2024 it averaged 10 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 55 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 113th of 114 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 10 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -1°F on December 23, 2022. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from December to February, 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 10 and the last spring freeze around Mar 24.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Missouri. Of roughly 53.3 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 13.6 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 5th of 114. February, March and May see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.28 inches, October 29, 2020. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.53 inches (through November 18, 2015).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 48 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
68% of homes in Dunklin County predate 1980, above the Missouri county median of 53%, which ranks 16th of Missouri's 114 counties.
In Dunklin County 30% of homes are older than 1960. If yours is one of them and the plumbing has never been replaced, expect galvanized steel supply pipe and cast iron drain lines, the two materials most likely to fail quietly.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 22% 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.
9% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, close to the Missouri county median of 9.8%. 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.
Renters occupy 38% 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
Dunklin County averages 102 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in March. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Dunklin County it's 43% utility gas, 47% electric, 9% 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 Dunklin County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Butler, New Madrid and Stoddard get more pipe-freeze nights than Dunklin. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Dunklin | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 30% | 25% | 44 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 68% | 53% | 16 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 10% | 21% | 111 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 9.3% | 9.8% | 65 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 16% | 15% | 52 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 9.2% | 25% | 102 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 10/yr | 28/yr | 113 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 14/yr | 10/yr | 5 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 48/yr | 77/yr | 113 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 102/yr | 65/yr | 2 of 114 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Missouri county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Dunklin County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in February, March 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