Greene County, New York · Catskill
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Pipes freeze in Greene County on about 60 nights a year, mostly November to April. Older homes, 38% of the stock here, are most at risk.
August brings the most downpours to Greene County, part of 8.9 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
38% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Greene County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 3.48 inches, and about 107 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
23% of occupied homes in Greene County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the New York county median of 19%.
About 6 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 29,080 homes and around 47,409 residents, Greene County is 647 square miles of eastern New York. Catskill is the county seat; Coxsackie, Athens and Cairo are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1972, half after.
53/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Greene County ranks 23 of 57 New York counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Greene County ranks highest compared with other New York counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Greene County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 146 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 60 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 20th.
On February 14, 2016 the low fell to about -15°F, and in the stretch ending February 2015 the county went 16 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 19 and end around May 4.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of New York. About 8.9 days a year bring an inch or more (5th of 57), most often in August, out of 44.6 inches of total precipitation. On October 30, 2017, 3.48 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.12 inches, ending October 1, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 107 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
New York's 57 counties range widely in housing age; Greene ranks 45th, with 61% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 38% built before 1960 to 15% 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 24% 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.
36% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 6 times a year here, below the New York county median of 12. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Greene County it's 9% utility gas, 16% electric, 17% propane and 6% wood. Wood and propane heat are 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 Greene County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Delaware and Schoharie get more pipe-freeze nights than Greene. Albany County has the oldest housing nearby, with 68% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Greene | New York median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 38% | 45% | 45 of 57 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 61% | 67% | 45 of 57 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 15% | 13% | 19 of 57 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6.8% | 7.6% | 32 of 57 |
| Vacant homes | 36% | 14% | 5 of 57 |
| Wood or propane heat | 23% | 19% | 23 of 57 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 60/yr | 55/yr | 20 of 57 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.9/yr | 6/yr | 5 of 57 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 107/yr | 101/yr | 9 of 57 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 6/yr | 12/yr | 43 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 Greene County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in April, August and October.
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