Pemiscot County, Missouri · Caruthersville
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Pemiscot County averages 9 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 32% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 12.9 times a year here, most often in April. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Pemiscot County gets about 12.9 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Pemiscot County, 3.17 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
16% of occupied homes in Pemiscot County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
About 104 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 14,958 people live in Pemiscot County, 493 square miles in southeast Missouri, in roughly 7,501 homes. The county seat is Caruthersville, and Hayti, Steele and Hayti Heights round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1973, half after.
57/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Pemiscot County ranks 34 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Pemiscot County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Missouri, and pipes still freeze. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 9 nights a year at or below 20°F (114th of 114) and 53 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 10 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -1°F on December 23, 2022.
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.
Freezing nights typically start around Nov 10 and end around Mar 23.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Missouri. Of roughly 50.9 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 12.9 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 14th of 114. March, April and November see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.17 inches, March 10, 2016. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.39 inches, ending November 18, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 46 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
65% of homes in Pemiscot County predate 1980, above the Missouri county median of 53%, which ranks 22nd of Missouri's 114 counties.
In Pemiscot 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.
8% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, below 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.
Renters occupy 44% 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 104 times a year here, above the Missouri county median of 64.5. Mold grows when indoor humidity stays above about 60%, the EPA's ceiling. A basement dehumidifier set to 50% and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours prevents most problems.
Mold remediation: what to expectMain heating fuel in Pemiscot County's occupied homes: 48% utility gas, 36% electric, 16% propane and under 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 Pemiscot County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Every neighboring county gets more pipe-freeze nights than Pemiscot. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Dunklin County has the oldest housing nearby, with 68% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Pemiscot | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 32% | 25% | 38 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 65% | 53% | 22 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 14% | 21% | 99 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.2% | 9.8% | 77 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 16% | 15% | 57 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 16% | 25% | 83 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 9/yr | 28/yr | 114 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 10/yr | 14 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 46/yr | 77/yr | 114 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 104/yr | 65/yr | 1 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 Pemiscot County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in March, April and November.
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