Martin County, North Carolina · Williamston
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With 29% of homes built before 1960 and about 4 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 11.8 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
29% 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.
In Martin County, 7.61 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
25% of occupied homes in Martin County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the North Carolina county median of 11.7%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 99 times a year in Martin County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Martin County covers 456 square miles of northeast North Carolina, with about 21,644 residents and 11,058 homes. Williamston is the county seat; Robersonville, Jamesville and Parmele are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1975.
64/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Martin County ranks 12 of 100 North Carolina counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Martin County ranks highest compared with other North Carolina counties.
For frozen pipes, Martin County is a typical North Carolina county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 4 nights a year at or below 20°F (58th of 100) and 45 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 7, 2018 the low fell to about 5°F, and in the stretch ending February 2015 the county went 3 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Most freezing nights fall from January, 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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 18 and the last spring freeze around Mar 19.
Rainfall is about average for North Carolina. About 11.8 days a year bring an inch or more (46th of 100), most often in July, out of 53.2 inches of total precipitation. On October 9, 2016, 7.61 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 8.87 inches (through October 9, 2016).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 43 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
Roughly 56% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Martin among the oldest housing stocks of North Carolina's 100 counties.
29% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
About 25% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 22% 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.
Renters occupy 33% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Martin County averages 99 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in July. 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, Martin County homes break down as 4% utility gas, 66% electric, 25% propane and under 1% wood. Propane heat is above the North Carolina 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 Martin County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Edgecombe and Halifax get more pipe-freeze nights than Martin. Washington County has the oldest housing nearby, with 62% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Martin | North Carolina median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 29% | 18% | 3 of 100 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 56% | 41% | 4 of 100 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 26% | 85 of 100 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 22% | 17% | 32 of 100 |
| Vacant homes | 14% | 13% | 45 of 100 |
| Wood or propane heat | 25% | 12% | 13 of 100 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 4/yr | 5/yr | 58 of 100 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 12/yr | 12/yr | 46 of 100 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 43/yr | 57/yr | 71 of 100 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 99/yr | 89/yr | 33 of 100 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest North Carolina county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Martin County: freezing from January, heavy rain in April, July 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