Meigs County, Ohio · Pomeroy
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Pipes freeze in Meigs County on about 26 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 32% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in June. Meigs County averages 6.6 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Meigs County gets about 6.6 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 90 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
18% of occupied homes in Meigs County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Ohio county median of 15.9%.
With 30 muggy nights a year, mold in Meigs County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 10,675 homes and around 21,896 residents, Meigs County is 430 square miles of southern Ohio. The county seat is Pomeroy, and Middleport, Racine and Rutland round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1978.
35/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Meigs County ranks 80 of 88 Ohio counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Meigs County ranks highest compared with other Ohio counties.
Meigs County is milder than most of Ohio, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 26 nights a year at or below 20°F (75th of 88) and 106 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On February 21, 2015 the low fell to about -14°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 14 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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 26 and the last spring freeze around Apr 22.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Ohio. The county gets about 45 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.6 days of an inch or more (25th of 88). Those downpours cluster in February, June and July, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.5 inches on September 10, 2018. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.86 inches (through September 10, 2018).
About 90 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
53% of homes in Meigs County predate 1980, below the Ohio county median of 61.1%, which ranks 64th of Ohio's 88 counties.
The mix runs from 32% built before 1960 to 19% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 29% 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.
Here 26% 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.
The Census counted 15% of homes as vacant, above the Ohio county median of 8.4%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
About 30 nights a year in Meigs County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (65th of 88 counties). June is the wettest month. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30 to 50%. Basements can pass 60% on their own in summer, so a dehumidifier matters even without a leak, and anything wet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Meigs County homes break down as 30% utility gas, 49% electric, 14% propane and 5% wood. Wood 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 Meigs County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Meigs gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Athens County has the oldest housing nearby, with 54% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Meigs | Ohio median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 32% | 37% | 61 of 88 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 53% | 61% | 64 of 88 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 17% | 32 of 88 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 26% | 5.9% | 2 of 88 |
| Vacant homes | 15% | 8.4% | 11 of 88 |
| Wood or propane heat | 18% | 16% | 39 of 88 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 26/yr | 31/yr | 75 of 88 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.6/yr | 5.7/yr | 25 of 88 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 90/yr | 82/yr | 5 of 88 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 30/yr | 35/yr | 65 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 Meigs 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