Phelps County, Missouri · Rolla
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Phelps County averages 25 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 17% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 10.6 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 Phelps County gets about 10.6 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Phelps County, 4.64 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
19% of occupied homes in Phelps County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
With 60 muggy nights a year, mold in Phelps County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 45,194 people live in Phelps County, 672 square miles in central Missouri, in roughly 20,295 homes. The county seat is Rolla, and St. James, Doolittle and Newburg round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1984, half after.
37/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Phelps County ranks 105 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Phelps County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Phelps County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 25 nights a year at or below 20°F (66th of 114) and 88 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about -8°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 26 and end around Apr 11.
Rainfall is about average for Missouri. About 10.6 days a year bring an inch or more (50th of 114), most often in April, out of 44.7 inches of total precipitation. On November 5, 2024, 4.64 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 7.85 inches, ending December 29, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 76 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
44% of homes in Phelps County predate 1980, below the Missouri county median of 53%, which ranks 89th of Missouri's 114 counties.
28% of homes were built in 2000 or later, more than in most of Missouri. Newer plumbing rarely corrodes, so damage here tends to come from appliance supply lines, water heaters, sump pumps and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 28% 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.
9% 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.
Renters occupy 38% 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 60 times a year here, close to 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 Phelps County's occupied homes: 17% utility gas, 62% electric, 13% propane and 6% wood. Fires here are likelier to start in the kitchen or the wiring than in the furnace. After any fire, keep the HVAC off until ducts are checked, or soot will travel through the house.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Phelps County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Crawford, Dent and Gasconade get more pipe-freeze nights than Phelps. Gasconade County has the oldest housing nearby, with 57% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Phelps | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 17% | 25% | 97 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 44% | 53% | 89 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 28% | 21% | 21 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.7% | 9.8% | 72 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 15% | 15% | 61 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 19% | 25% | 75 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 25/yr | 28/yr | 66 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 11/yr | 10/yr | 50 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 76/yr | 77/yr | 61 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 60/yr | 65/yr | 67 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 Phelps County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in March, April 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