Suffolk County, New York · Riverhead
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Suffolk County averages 18 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to March, and 31% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 8 times a year here, most often in October. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Suffolk County spike on heavy-rain days, about 8 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 77 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
5% of occupied homes in Suffolk County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the New York county median of 19%.
About 51 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
Suffolk County covers 911 square miles of southeast New York, with about 1,530,146 residents and 580,772 homes. The county seat is Riverhead, and West Babylon, Coram and Central Islip round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1970, half after.
37/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Suffolk County ranks 49 of 57 New York counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Suffolk 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 18 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 88 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 56th of 57 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 13 days below freezing (ending January 2018), and the low bottomed out near -2°F on February 14, 2016.
The freeze season here runs December 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 Nov 8 and end around Apr 6.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of New York. Of roughly 43.9 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 8 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 10th of 57. March, October and December see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.66 inches, October 30, 2017. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.21 inches, ending October 27, 2021, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 77 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
Roughly 68% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Suffolk near the middle of New York's 57 counties.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 31% predate 1960 and 13% 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 51 times a year here, above 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 Suffolk County it's 41% utility gas, 9% electric, 4% propane and under 1% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Suffolk County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Suffolk gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Nassau County has the oldest housing nearby, with 85% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Suffolk | New York median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 31% | 45% | 55 of 57 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 68% | 67% | 24 of 57 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 13% | 13% | 32 of 57 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 1.3% | 7.6% | 49 of 57 |
| Vacant homes | 12% | 14% | 31 of 57 |
| Wood or propane heat | 4.5% | 19% | 50 of 57 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 18/yr | 55/yr | 56 of 57 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8/yr | 6/yr | 10 of 57 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 77/yr | 101/yr | 56 of 57 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 51/yr | 12/yr | 2 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 Suffolk County: freezing from December to March, heavy rain in March, October and December.
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