Maries County, Missouri · Vienna
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Maries County averages 24 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 21% of its homes predate 1960.
Basements flood here mostly in August. Maries County averages 9.7 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Maries County gets about 9.7 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 72 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
50% of occupied homes in Maries County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 68 times a year in Maries County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 8,450 people live in Maries County, 527 square miles in central Missouri, in roughly 4,261 homes. The county seat is Vienna, and Belle is the other large town. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1985.
40/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Maries County ranks 93 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Maries County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
For frozen pipes, Maries County is a typical Missouri county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 24 nights a year at or below 20°F (70th of 114) and 85 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 12 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -7°F on January 14, 2024.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs December to February. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 26 and the last spring freeze around Apr 10.
Rainfall is about average for Missouri. The county gets about 43 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 9.7 days of an inch or more (66th of 114). Those downpours cluster in April, July and August, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.62 inches on December 27, 2015. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 8.01 inches (through December 29, 2015).
About 72 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Missouri's 114 counties range widely in housing age; Maries ranks 91st, with 43% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 21% built before 1960 to 24% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 33% 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.
14% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above 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 68 times a year here, close to 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 Maries County it's 3% utility gas, 44% electric, 30% propane and 19% 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 Maries County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Gasconade, Osage and Phelps get more pipe-freeze nights than Maries. Gasconade County has the oldest housing nearby, with 57% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Maries | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 21% | 25% | 76 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 43% | 53% | 91 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 24% | 21% | 40 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 14% | 9.8% | 20 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 20% | 15% | 38 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 50% | 25% | 7 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 24/yr | 28/yr | 70 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.7/yr | 10/yr | 66 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 72/yr | 77/yr | 88 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 68/yr | 65/yr | 37 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 Maries County: freezing from December 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