Orleans County, New York · Albion
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Pipes freeze in Orleans County on about 44 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 54% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 3.4 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Orleans County spike on heavy-rain days, about 3.4 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 82 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
29% of occupied homes in Orleans County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the New York county median of 19%.
About 26 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 18,326 homes and around 39,608 residents, Orleans County is 391 square miles of northwest New York. Besides Albion, the county seat, the biggest communities are Medina, Holley and Lyndonville. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1955.
44/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Orleans County ranks 39 of 57 New York counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Orleans County ranks highest compared with other New York counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for New York, and pipes still freeze. It averaged 122 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 44 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 48th.
On February 14, 2016 the low fell to about -11°F, and in the stretch ending March 2015 the county went 26 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November to March, 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 31 and end around May 2.
Orleans gets fewer downpours than most New York counties, but they still fill basements. About 3.4 days a year bring an inch or more (54th of 57), most often in July, out of 34.2 inches of total precipitation. On July 12, 2020, 1.91 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.02 inches, ending July 19, 2021, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 82 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
New York's 57 counties range widely in housing age; Orleans ranks 15th, with 72% of its homes built before 1980.
Before 1960 is when 54% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 9% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
Beyond water
Orleans County averages 26 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in July. 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 expectMain heating fuel in Orleans County's occupied homes: 42% utility gas, 15% electric, 24% propane and 5% wood. Propane heat is more common here than in most New York 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 Orleans County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Genesee gets more pipe-freeze nights than Orleans. Genesee County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Orleans | New York median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 54% | 45% | 10 of 57 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 72% | 67% | 15 of 57 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 8.5% | 13% | 52 of 57 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.7% | 7.6% | 23 of 57 |
| Vacant homes | 12% | 14% | 32 of 57 |
| Wood or propane heat | 29% | 19% | 7 of 57 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 44/yr | 55/yr | 48 of 57 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 3.4/yr | 6/yr | 54 of 57 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 82/yr | 101/yr | 53 of 57 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 26/yr | 12/yr | 9 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 Orleans County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in July, September 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