Greene County, Missouri · Springfield
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Pipes freeze in Greene County on about 24 nights a year, mostly December to February. Older homes, 21% of the stock here, are most at risk.
May brings the most downpours to Greene County, part of 12.6 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
21% 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.
Greene County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.92 inches, and about 78 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
7% of occupied homes in Greene County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
About 65 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 138,982 homes and around 303,375 residents, Greene County is 675 square miles of southern Missouri. Springfield is the county seat; Republic, Willard and Battlefield are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1982, half after.
49/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Greene County ranks 64 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Greene County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Greene County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 88 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 24 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 114 Missouri counties that's 70th.
On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about -15°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 12 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs December to February, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 25 and end around Apr 10.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Missouri. About 12.6 days a year bring an inch or more (19th of 114), most often in May, out of 47.9 inches of total precipitation. On December 27, 2015, 4.92 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 8.65 inches, ending December 29, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 78 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
Missouri's 114 counties range widely in housing age; Greene ranks 79th, with 47% of its homes built before 1980.
Growth since 2000 added 27% of today's homes. In houses that new, the weak points are washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, water heaters and sump pumps rather than the pipes in the walls.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 26% 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.
Renters occupy 43% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 65 times a year here, close to the Missouri county median of 64.5. 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 Greene County it's 52% utility gas, 40% electric, 6% propane and 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 Greene County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Dallas and Webster get more pipe-freeze nights than Greene. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Dade County has the oldest housing nearby, with 61% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Greene | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 21% | 25% | 76 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 47% | 53% | 79 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 27% | 21% | 27 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.3% | 9.8% | 109 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 5.8% | 15% | 108 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 7% | 25% | 108 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 24/yr | 28/yr | 70 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 10/yr | 19 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 78/yr | 77/yr | 48 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 65/yr | 65/yr | 57 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 Greene County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in March, 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