Rockland County, New York · New City
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Rockland County averages 30 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 28% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 9.5 times a year here, most often in October. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Rockland County gets about 9.5 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Rockland County, 5.08 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
2% of occupied homes in Rockland County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the New York county median of 19%.
With 46 muggy nights a year, mold in Rockland County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 341,883 people live in Rockland County, 174 square miles in southeast New York, in roughly 108,945 homes. The county seat is New City, and Spring Valley, Monsey and Nanuet round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1971, half after.
40/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Rockland County ranks 48 of 57 New York counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Rockland County ranks highest compared with other New York counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for New York, and pipes still freeze. From 2015–2024 it averaged 30 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 105 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 54th of 57 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 14 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -7°F on February 24, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from November to March, peaking in January. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor spigots before the first hard frost, and keep the heat at 55°F or higher if you'll be away.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 30 and end around Apr 10.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of New York. About 9.5 days a year bring an inch or more (3rd of 57), most often in October, out of 46.7 inches of total precipitation. On September 2, 2021, 5.08 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.26 inches, ending September 2, 2021, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 89 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
66% of homes in Rockland County predate 1980, close to the New York county median of 66.8%, which ranks 30th of New York's 57 counties.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 28% predate 1960 and 14% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 46 times a year here, above 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, Rockland County homes break down as 84% utility gas, 10% electric, 2% propane and under 1% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Rockland County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Orange and Putnam get more pipe-freeze nights than Rockland. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Westchester County has the oldest housing nearby, with 76% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Rockland | New York median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 28% | 45% | 56 of 57 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 66% | 67% | 30 of 57 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 14% | 13% | 22 of 57 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 0.9% | 7.6% | 52 of 57 |
| Vacant homes | 4.7% | 14% | 56 of 57 |
| Wood or propane heat | 1.8% | 19% | 57 of 57 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 30/yr | 55/yr | 54 of 57 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.5/yr | 6/yr | 3 of 57 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 89/yr | 101/yr | 45 of 57 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 46/yr | 12/yr | 4 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 Rockland County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in April, July 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