Perquimans County, North Carolina · Hertford
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Pipes freeze in Perquimans County on about 4 nights a year, mostly January. Older homes, 19% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 12.5 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Perquimans County gets about 12.5 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 41 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
18% of occupied homes in Perquimans 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 103 times a year in Perquimans County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 13,244 people live in Perquimans County, 247 square miles in northeast North Carolina, in roughly 6,967 homes. Hertford is the county seat; Winfall is the next largest community. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1991.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Perquimans County ranks 39 of 100 North Carolina counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Perquimans County ranks highest compared with other North Carolina counties.
For frozen pipes, Perquimans 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 42 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 7, 2018 the low fell to about 8°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 21 and the last spring freeze around Mar 17.
Rainfall is about average for North Carolina. About 12.5 days a year bring an inch or more (35th of 100), most often in July, out of 54 inches of total precipitation. On October 9, 2016, 7.59 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 10.3 inches (through October 10, 2016).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 41 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
North Carolina's 100 counties range widely in housing age; Perquimans ranks 62nd, with 36% of its homes built before 1980.
33% of homes were built in 2000 or later, more than in most of North Carolina. Newer plumbing rarely corrodes, so damage here tends to come from appliance supply lines, water heaters, sump pumps and storms.
About 31% 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.
23% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the North Carolina county median of 17.4%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
With 19% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 103 times a year here, above the North Carolina county median of 88.5. 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, Perquimans County homes break down as 4% utility gas, 75% electric, 17% propane and under 1% wood. Propane heat is more common here than in most North Carolina 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 Perquimans County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Gates gets more pipe-freeze nights than Perquimans. Washington County has the oldest housing nearby, with 62% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Perquimans | North Carolina median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 19% | 18% | 41 of 100 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 36% | 41% | 62 of 100 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 33% | 26% | 27 of 100 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 23% | 17% | 29 of 100 |
| Vacant homes | 19% | 13% | 32 of 100 |
| Wood or propane heat | 18% | 12% | 31 of 100 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 4/yr | 5/yr | 58 of 100 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 12/yr | 35 of 100 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 41/yr | 57/yr | 77 of 100 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 103/yr | 89/yr | 22 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 Perquimans County: freezing from January, heavy rain in July, August 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