Cherokee County, Oklahoma · Tahlequah
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With 10% of homes built before 1960 and about 13 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
Basements flood here mostly in May. Cherokee County averages 14 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
10% 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.
Cherokee County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.52 inches, and about 65 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
16% of occupied homes in Cherokee County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Oklahoma county median of 12.5%.
About 93 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
Cherokee County covers 749 square miles of northeast Oklahoma, with about 47,942 residents and 22,363 homes. Tahlequah is the county seat; Park Hill, Norwood and Grandview are the next largest communities. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1989.
44/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Cherokee County ranks 56 of 77 Oklahoma counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Cherokee County ranks highest compared with other Oklahoma counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Cherokee County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 13 nights a year at or below 20°F (38th of 77) and 70 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 10 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -11°F on February 17, 2021. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
The freeze season here runs December to February, 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 Nov 2 and end around Mar 27.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Oklahoma. About 14 days a year bring an inch or more (11th of 77), most often in May, out of 51.3 inches of total precipitation. On May 5, 2022, 4.52 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 8.1 inches, ending December 28, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 65 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
35% of homes in Cherokee County predate 1980, below the Oklahoma county median of 54.8%, which ranks 72nd of Oklahoma's 77 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 32% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 32% 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.
19% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the Oklahoma county median of 12.3%. 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.
Renters occupy 34% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Cherokee County averages 93 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Cherokee County it's 35% utility gas, 47% electric, 10% propane and 6% wood. Wood heat is 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 Cherokee County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Adair and Mayes get more pipe-freeze nights than Cherokee. Muskogee County has the oldest housing nearby, with 55% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Cherokee | Oklahoma median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 10% | 24% | 71 of 77 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 35% | 55% | 72 of 77 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 32% | 22% | 8 of 77 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 19% | 12% | 11 of 77 |
| Vacant homes | 16% | 17% | 43 of 77 |
| Wood or propane heat | 16% | 13% | 27 of 77 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 13/yr | 13/yr | 38 of 77 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 14/yr | 11/yr | 11 of 77 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 65/yr | 65/yr | 38 of 77 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 93/yr | 98/yr | 51 of 77 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Oklahoma county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Cherokee County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in April, May and October.
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