Coal County, Oklahoma · Coalgate
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Pipes freeze in Coal County on about 8 nights a year, mostly December to February. Older homes, 25% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in May. Coal County averages 14.1 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Coal County spike on heavy-rain days, about 14.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Coal County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 9.82 inches, and about 54 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
22% of occupied homes in Coal County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Oklahoma county median of 12.5%.
About 108 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
About 5,320 people live in Coal County, 517 square miles in southeast Oklahoma, in roughly 2,585 homes. The county seat is Coalgate, and Tupelo, Lehigh and Clarita round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1976.
55/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Coal County ranks 21 of 77 Oklahoma counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Coal County ranks highest compared with other Oklahoma counties.
Coal County is milder than most of Oklahoma, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 8 nights a year at or below 20°F (65th of 77) and 57 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 10 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -6°F on February 16, 2021.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 10 and the last spring freeze around Mar 20.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Oklahoma. About 14.1 days a year bring an inch or more (10th of 77), most often in May, out of 48.9 inches of total precipitation. On September 22, 2018, 9.82 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 11.91 inches (through September 23, 2018).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 54 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
60% of homes in Coal County predate 1980, above the Oklahoma county median of 54.8%, which ranks 24th of Oklahoma's 77 counties.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 25% predate 1960 and 18% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
11% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, close to 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.
With 21% 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
Coal County averages 108 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Coal County homes break down as 33% utility gas, 44% electric, 18% propane and 5% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than in most Oklahoma 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 Coal County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Hughes, Pittsburg and Pontotoc get more pipe-freeze nights than Coal. Hughes County has the oldest housing nearby, with 64% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Coal | Oklahoma median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 25% | 24% | 36 of 77 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 60% | 55% | 24 of 77 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 22% | 51 of 77 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 11% | 12% | 49 of 77 |
| Vacant homes | 21% | 17% | 23 of 77 |
| Wood or propane heat | 22% | 13% | 14 of 77 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 8/yr | 13/yr | 65 of 77 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 14/yr | 11/yr | 10 of 77 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 54/yr | 65/yr | 63 of 77 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 108/yr | 98/yr | 11 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 Coal County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in March, 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