Lawrence County, Missouri · Mount Vernon
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Pipes freeze in Lawrence County on about 21 nights a year, mostly December to February. Older homes, 27% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 12.2 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Lawrence County gets about 12.2 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 73 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
29% of occupied homes in Lawrence County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
With 67 muggy nights a year, mold in Lawrence County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 16,303 homes and around 38,593 residents, Lawrence County is 612 square miles of southwest Missouri. The county seat is Mount Vernon, and Aurora, Marionville and Pierce City round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1979.
51/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Lawrence County ranks 56 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Lawrence County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
Lawrence County is milder than most of Missouri, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. It averaged 84 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 21 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 91st.
On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about -14°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.
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 Oct 29 and the last spring freeze around Apr 9.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Missouri. Of roughly 48.5 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 12.2 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 26th of 114. March, April and May see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 5.51 inches, December 27, 2015. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 9.1 inches (through December 29, 2015).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 73 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
51% of homes in Lawrence County predate 1980, close to the Missouri county median of 53%, which ranks 63rd of Missouri's 114 counties.
Housing age is mixed: 27% of homes are pre-1960 and 25% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 24% 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.
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.
Beyond water
Lawrence County averages 67 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Lawrence County homes break down as 33% utility gas, 38% electric, 22% propane and 6% wood. Propane heat is more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Lawrence County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Christian, Dade and Greene get more pipe-freeze nights than Lawrence. Dade County has the oldest housing nearby, with 61% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Lawrence | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 27% | 25% | 50 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 51% | 53% | 63 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 25% | 21% | 36 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 9.7% | 9.8% | 60 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 10% | 15% | 90 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 29% | 25% | 47 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 21/yr | 28/yr | 91 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 12/yr | 10/yr | 26 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 73/yr | 77/yr | 81 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 67/yr | 65/yr | 45 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 Lawrence 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