Ralls County, Missouri · New London
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Pipes freeze in Ralls County on about 33 nights a year, mostly November to February. Older homes, 21% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 7.8 times a year here, most often in June. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Ralls County spike on heavy-rain days, about 7.8 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 75 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
35% of occupied homes in Ralls County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
About 60 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 5,056 homes and around 10,428 residents, Ralls County is 470 square miles of northern Missouri. Besides New London, the county seat, the biggest communities are Perry, Center and Rensselaer. Half the homes here were built before 1980, half after.
38/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Ralls County ranks 100 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Ralls County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
Ralls County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Missouri. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 33 nights a year at or below 20°F (34th of 114) and 100 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 15, 2024 the low fell to about -13°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 15 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November 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 Nov 2 and end around Apr 13.
Ralls gets fewer downpours than most Missouri counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 37.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 7.8 days of an inch or more (111th of 114). Those downpours cluster in March, June and July, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.36 inches on April 30, 2017. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.55 inches, ending May 1, 2017, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 75 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
Roughly 50% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Ralls near the middle of Missouri's 114 counties.
The mix runs from 21% built before 1960 to 23% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
28% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
Here 17% 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.
22% 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
About 60 nights a year in Ralls County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (67th of 114 counties). May is the wettest month. 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 expectMain heating fuel in Ralls County's occupied homes: 22% utility gas, 42% electric, 28% propane and 7% wood. Propane heat is more common here than in most Missouri counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Ralls County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Marion and Monroe get more pipe-freeze nights than Ralls. Audrain County has the oldest housing nearby, with 65% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Ralls | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 21% | 25% | 74 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 50% | 53% | 69 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 23% | 21% | 48 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 17% | 9.8% | 14 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 22% | 15% | 29 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 35% | 25% | 34 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 33/yr | 28/yr | 34 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.8/yr | 10/yr | 111 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 75/yr | 77/yr | 72 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 Ralls County: freezing from November to February, heavy rain in March, June and July.
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