Preble County, Ohio · Eaton
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Preble County averages 32 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 39% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 7.3 times a year here, most often in March. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Preble County spike on heavy-rain days, about 7.3 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 83 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
24% of occupied homes in Preble County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Ohio county median of 15.9%.
About 35 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
Preble County covers 424 square miles of southwest Ohio, with about 40,765 residents and 18,140 homes. The county seat is Eaton, and Lake Lakengren, Camden and Lewisburg round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1972, half after.
65/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Preble County ranks 10 of 88 Ohio counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Preble County ranks highest compared with other Ohio counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Preble County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 32 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 107 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 35th of 88 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 16 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -12°F on January 3, 2018. 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 24 and end around Apr 24.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Ohio. Of roughly 44.9 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 7.3 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 11th of 88. February, March and April see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.84 inches, June 19, 2021. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.63 inches, ending September 9, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 83 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
65% of homes in Preble County predate 1980, close to the Ohio county median of 61.1%, which ranks 34th of Ohio's 88 counties.
The mix runs from 39% built before 1960 to 13% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
23% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
Beyond water
About 35 nights a year in Preble County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (42nd 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 Preble County it's 29% utility gas, 37% electric, 17% propane and 7% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Preble County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Darke gets more pipe-freeze nights than Preble. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Darke County has the oldest housing nearby, with 74% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Preble | Ohio median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 39% | 37% | 36 of 88 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 65% | 61% | 34 of 88 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 13% | 17% | 65 of 88 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 3.2% | 5.9% | 68 of 88 |
| Vacant homes | 7.8% | 8.4% | 51 of 88 |
| Wood or propane heat | 24% | 16% | 20 of 88 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 32/yr | 31/yr | 35 of 88 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.3/yr | 5.7/yr | 11 of 88 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 83/yr | 82/yr | 38 of 88 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 35/yr | 35/yr | 42 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 Preble County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in February, March and April.
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