Lawrence County, Ohio · Ironton
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Pipes freeze in Lawrence County on about 23 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 31% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 6.7 times a year here, most often in February. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Lawrence County gets about 6.7 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 82 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
16% of occupied homes in Lawrence County heat mainly with wood or propane, close to the Ohio county median of 15.9%.
With 46 muggy nights a year, mold in Lawrence County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 26,536 homes and around 56,819 residents, Lawrence County is 453 square miles of southern Ohio. The county seat is Ironton, and South Point, Burlington and Coal Grove round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1975.
40/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Lawrence County ranks 67 of 88 Ohio counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Lawrence County ranks highest compared with other Ohio counties.
Lawrence County is milder than most of Ohio, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. It averaged 94 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 23 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 87th.
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.
Most freezing nights fall from November to March, 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 2 and the last spring freeze around Apr 20.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Ohio. Of roughly 45.1 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 6.7 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 24th of 88. February, June and July see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.46 inches, September 10, 2018. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.46 inches (through September 10, 2018).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 82 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
59% of homes in Lawrence County predate 1980, close to the Ohio county median of 61.1%, which ranks 50th of Ohio's 88 counties.
Housing age is mixed: 31% of homes are pre-1960 and 16% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 25% 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.
16% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the Ohio county median of 5.9%. 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 15% 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
Lawrence County averages 46 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in July. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Lawrence County homes break down as 41% utility gas, 42% electric, 14% propane and 2% wood. Fires here are likelier to start in the kitchen or the wiring than in the furnace. After any fire, keep the HVAC off until ducts are checked, or soot will travel through the house.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Lawrence County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Every neighboring county gets more pipe-freeze nights than Lawrence. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Scioto County has the oldest housing nearby, with 66% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Lawrence | Ohio median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 31% | 37% | 65 of 88 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 59% | 61% | 50 of 88 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 16% | 17% | 47 of 88 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 16% | 5.9% | 12 of 88 |
| Vacant homes | 15% | 8.4% | 12 of 88 |
| Wood or propane heat | 16% | 16% | 46 of 88 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 23/yr | 31/yr | 87 of 88 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.7/yr | 5.7/yr | 24 of 88 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 82/yr | 82/yr | 44 of 88 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 46/yr | 35/yr | 7 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 Lawrence County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in February, June and July.
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