Gallia County, Ohio · Gallipolis
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Gallia County averages 25 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 21% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 7 times a year here, most often in June. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Gallia County spike on heavy-rain days, about 7 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 87 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
29% of occupied homes in Gallia County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Ohio county median of 15.9%.
About 37 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
About 29,068 people live in Gallia County, 467 square miles in southern Ohio, in roughly 13,464 homes. Besides Gallipolis, the county seat, the biggest communities are Bidwell, Rio Grande and Crown City. Half the homes here were built before 1981, half after.
33/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Gallia County ranks 85 of 88 Ohio counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Gallia County ranks highest compared with other Ohio counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Ohio, and pipes still freeze. It averaged 101 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 25 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 80th.
On February 20, 2015 the low fell to about -14°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 13 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 29 and end around Apr 20.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Ohio. The county gets about 44.4 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 7 days of an inch or more (16th of 88). Those downpours cluster in February, April and June, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.45 inches on September 10, 2018. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.67 inches, ending September 10, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 87 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 48% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Gallia among the newer housing stocks of Ohio's 88 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 23% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
About 29% 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.
Here 21% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
14% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Beyond water
About 37 nights a year in Gallia County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (32nd of 88 counties). July is the wettest month. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Gallia County it's 19% utility gas, 50% electric, 22% propane and 7% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than in most Ohio 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 Gallia County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Jackson, Meigs and Vinton get more pipe-freeze nights than Gallia. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Lawrence County has the oldest housing nearby, with 59% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Gallia | Ohio median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 21% | 37% | 84 of 88 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 48% | 61% | 79 of 88 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 23% | 17% | 16 of 88 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 21% | 5.9% | 3 of 88 |
| Vacant homes | 14% | 8.4% | 14 of 88 |
| Wood or propane heat | 29% | 16% | 6 of 88 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 25/yr | 31/yr | 80 of 88 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7/yr | 5.7/yr | 16 of 88 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 87/yr | 82/yr | 15 of 88 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 37/yr | 35/yr | 32 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 Gallia County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in February, April and June.
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