Harrison County, Missouri · Bethany
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Harrison County averages 47 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 44% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 8.7 times a year here, most often in August. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Harrison County spike on heavy-rain days, about 8.7 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 86 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
35% of occupied homes in Harrison County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
About 47 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 4,008 homes and around 8,190 residents, Harrison County is 723 square miles of northwest Missouri. Bethany is the county seat; Ridgeway, Eagleville and Blythedale are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1966, half after.
64/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Harrison County ranks 5 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Harrison County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
Harrison County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Missouri. From 2015–2024 it averaged 47 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 117 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 4th of 114 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 16 days below freezing (ending January 2018), and the low bottomed out near -17°F on January 15, 2024.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to March. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 25 and end around Apr 16.
Harrison gets fewer downpours than most Missouri counties, but they still fill basements. About 8.7 days a year bring an inch or more (87th of 114), most often in August, out of 38.2 inches of total precipitation. On June 29, 2017, 3.99 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.67 inches, ending October 9, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 86 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; Harrison ranks 17th, with 67% of its homes built before 1980.
44% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
Here 8% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
20% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 47 times a year here, below 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 Harrison County it's 33% utility gas, 26% electric, 28% propane and 7% 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 Harrison County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Mercer and Worth get more pipe-freeze nights than Harrison. Grundy County has the oldest housing nearby, with 75% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Harrison | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 44% | 25% | 8 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 67% | 53% | 17 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 17% | 21% | 80 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.8% | 9.8% | 79 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 20% | 15% | 32 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 35% | 25% | 33 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 47/yr | 28/yr | 4 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.7/yr | 10/yr | 87 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 86/yr | 77/yr | 16 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 47/yr | 65/yr | 101 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 Harrison County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in July, August and October.
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