Fulton County, Ohio · Wauseon
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Fulton County averages 35 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 39% of its homes predate 1960.
June brings the most downpours to Fulton County, part of 4.9 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Fulton County gets about 4.9 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Fulton County, 2.21 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
27% of occupied homes in Fulton County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Ohio county median of 15.9%.
About 29 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 17,739 homes and around 42,240 residents, Fulton County is 405 square miles of northwest Ohio. Besides Wauseon, the county seat, the biggest communities are Archbold, Delta and Fayette. Half the homes here were built before 1971, half after.
53/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Fulton County ranks 36 of 88 Ohio counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Fulton County ranks highest compared with other Ohio counties.
Fulton County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Ohio. It averaged 115 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 35 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 88 Ohio counties that's 12th.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -15°F, and in the stretch ending March 2015 the county went 18 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 30 and end around Apr 26.
Fulton gets fewer downpours than most Ohio counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 35.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 4.9 days of an inch or more (62nd of 88). Those downpours cluster in June, July and August, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.21 inches on September 22, 2021. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.45 inches, ending September 24, 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 84 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
62% of homes in Fulton County predate 1980, close to the Ohio county median of 61.1%, which ranks 43rd of Ohio's 88 counties.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 39% predate 1960 and 15% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 23% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 29 times a year here, below the Ohio county median of 35. 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, Fulton County homes break down as 54% utility gas, 17% electric, 24% propane and 3% wood. Propane heat is above the Ohio 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 Fulton County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Williams gets more pipe-freeze nights than Fulton. Lucas County has the oldest housing nearby, with 73% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Fulton | Ohio median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 39% | 37% | 37 of 88 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 62% | 61% | 43 of 88 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 15% | 17% | 51 of 88 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6.2% | 5.9% | 39 of 88 |
| Vacant homes | 4.2% | 8.4% | 84 of 88 |
| Wood or propane heat | 27% | 16% | 12 of 88 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 35/yr | 31/yr | 12 of 88 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 4.9/yr | 5.7/yr | 62 of 88 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 84/yr | 82/yr | 31 of 88 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 29/yr | 35/yr | 69 of 88 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Ohio county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Fulton County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in June, July and August.
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