Gasconade County, Missouri · Hermann
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Pipes freeze in Gasconade County on about 28 nights a year, mostly November to February. Older homes, 32% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in August. Gasconade County averages 10.2 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Gasconade County spike on heavy-rain days, about 10.2 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Gasconade County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.64 inches, and about 78 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
37% of occupied homes in Gasconade County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
About 58 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 14,746 people live in Gasconade County, 519 square miles in central Missouri, in roughly 7,574 homes. The county seat is Hermann, and Owensville, Bland and Rosebud round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1976.
53/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Gasconade County ranks 48 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Gasconade County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
For frozen pipes, Gasconade County is a typical Missouri county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 28 nights a year at or below 20°F (54th of 114) and 94 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 14, 2024 the low fell to about -9°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 14 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Most freezing nights fall from November 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 Oct 25 and the last spring freeze around Apr 13.
Rainfall is about average for Missouri. The county gets about 43.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 10.2 days of an inch or more (58th of 114). Those downpours cluster in April, July and August, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.64 inches on December 27, 2015. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 8.14 inches (through December 29, 2015).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 78 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
57% of homes in Gasconade County predate 1980, above the Missouri county median of 53%, which ranks 44th of Missouri's 114 counties.
In Gasconade County 32% 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.
22% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
10% 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.
With 20% 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 58 times a year here, below the Missouri county median of 64.5. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Gasconade County it's 15% utility gas, 45% electric, 24% propane and 13% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Missouri 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 Gasconade County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Crawford, Montgomery and Warren get more pipe-freeze nights than Gasconade. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Gasconade | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 32% | 25% | 36 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 57% | 53% | 44 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 20% | 21% | 61 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 9.6% | 9.8% | 63 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 20% | 15% | 34 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 37% | 25% | 29 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 28/yr | 28/yr | 54 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 10/yr | 10/yr | 58 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 78/yr | 77/yr | 48 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 58/yr | 65/yr | 78 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 Gasconade County: freezing from November to February, heavy rain in April, 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