Morrow County, Ohio · Mount Gilead
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Pipes freeze in Morrow County on about 38 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 28% of the stock here, are most at risk.
June brings the most downpours to Morrow County, part of 5.6 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
28% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Morrow County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.87 inches, and about 86 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
46% of occupied homes in Morrow County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Ohio county median of 15.9%.
About 26 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
Morrow County covers 406 square miles of central Ohio, with about 35,404 residents and 14,704 homes. The county seat is Mount Gilead, and Cardington, Candlewood Lake and Iberia round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1980, half after.
49/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Morrow County ranks 46 of 88 Ohio counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Morrow County ranks highest compared with other Ohio counties.
Morrow County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Ohio. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 38 nights a year at or below 20°F (1st of 88) and 115 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 19 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in March 2015. The coldest night reached about -12°F on February 24, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 26 and end around Apr 24.
Rainfall is about average for Ohio. The county gets about 42.3 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 5.6 days of an inch or more (46th of 88). Those downpours cluster in March, June and September, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.87 inches on August 24, 2023. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.69 inches, ending August 26, 2023, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 86 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
Ohio's 88 counties range widely in housing age; Morrow ranks 76th, with 50% of its homes built before 1980.
26% of homes were built in 2000 or later, more than in most of Ohio. Newer plumbing rarely corrodes, so damage here tends to come from appliance supply lines, water heaters, sump pumps and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 24% 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 10% 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.
Beyond water
Morrow County averages 26 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in June. 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 expectMain heating fuel in Morrow County's occupied homes: 23% utility gas, 25% electric, 35% propane and 11% 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 Morrow County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Morrow gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Crawford County has the oldest housing nearby, with 80% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Morrow | Ohio median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 28% | 37% | 71 of 88 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 50% | 61% | 76 of 88 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 26% | 17% | 6 of 88 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 9.9% | 5.9% | 24 of 88 |
| Vacant homes | 8.4% | 8.4% | 43 of 88 |
| Wood or propane heat | 46% | 16% | 1 of 88 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 38/yr | 31/yr | 1 of 88 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.6/yr | 5.7/yr | 46 of 88 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 86/yr | 82/yr | 20 of 88 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 26/yr | 35/yr | 75 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 Morrow County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in March, June 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