Fulton County, New York · Johnstown
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Fulton County averages 69 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 56% of its homes predate 1960.
July brings the most downpours to Fulton County, part of 9 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Fulton County gets about 9 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Fulton County, 3.04 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
20% of occupied homes in Fulton County heat mainly with wood or propane, close to the New York county median of 19%.
About 5 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 28,199 homes and around 52,487 residents, Fulton County is 495 square miles of eastern New York. Besides Johnstown, the county seat, the biggest communities are Gloversville, Broadalbin and Mayfield. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1954.
79/100 Water Damage Risk Index: High Fulton County ranks 1 of 57 New York counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Fulton County ranks highest compared with other New York counties.
Fulton County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of New York. It averaged 155 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 69 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 57 New York counties that's 9th.
On February 4, 2023 the low fell to about -20°F, and in the stretch ending March 2015 the county went 37 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November to April, 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 15 and end around May 8.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of New York. The county gets about 49.4 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 9 days of an inch or more (4th of 57). Those downpours cluster in July, August and September, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.04 inches on September 30, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.78 inches, ending August 10, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 107 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
75% of homes in Fulton County predate 1980, above the New York county median of 66.8%, which ranks 11th of New York's 57 counties.
In Fulton County 56% 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.
9% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, close to the New York county median of 7.6%. 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.
The Census counted 19% of homes as vacant, above the New York county median of 13.9%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 5 times a year here, below the New York county median of 12. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Fulton County homes break down as 40% utility gas, 10% electric, 14% propane and 6% wood. Wood heat is above the New York 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 Fulton County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Hamilton and Herkimer get more pipe-freeze nights than Fulton. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Montgomery County has the oldest housing nearby, with 78% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Fulton | New York median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 56% | 45% | 6 of 57 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 75% | 67% | 11 of 57 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 9.2% | 13% | 49 of 57 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.6% | 7.6% | 25 of 57 |
| Vacant homes | 19% | 14% | 21 of 57 |
| Wood or propane heat | 20% | 19% | 28 of 57 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 69/yr | 55/yr | 9 of 57 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9/yr | 6/yr | 4 of 57 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 107/yr | 101/yr | 9 of 57 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 5/yr | 12/yr | 47 of 57 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest New York county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Fulton County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in July, August and September.
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