Cotton County, Oklahoma · Walters
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Cotton County averages 8 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 34% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 10.2 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Cotton County gets about 10.2 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 53 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
9% of occupied homes in Cotton County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Oklahoma county median of 12.5%.
About 109 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 5,485 people live in Cotton County, 633 square miles in southern Oklahoma, in roughly 2,697 homes. The county seat is Walters, and Temple, Randlett and Devol round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1971.
52/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Cotton County ranks 27 of 77 Oklahoma counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Cotton County ranks highest compared with other Oklahoma counties.
Cotton County is milder than most of Oklahoma, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. It averaged 57 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 8 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 77 Oklahoma counties that's 65th.
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 -8°F on February 17, 2021.
Most freezing nights fall from December to February, 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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 8 and the last spring freeze around Mar 20.
Rainfall is about average for Oklahoma. The county gets about 35.2 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 10.2 days of an inch or more (44th of 77). Those downpours cluster in May, June and September, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.31 inches on September 22, 2018. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.96 inches (through September 28, 2017).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 53 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
68% of homes in Cotton County predate 1980, above the Oklahoma county median of 54.8%, which ranks 17th of Oklahoma's 77 counties.
34% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
12% 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 24% 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
Cotton County averages 109 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Cotton County it's 32% utility gas, 56% electric, 8% propane and under 1% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Cotton County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Comanche, Stephens and Tillman get more pipe-freeze nights than Cotton. Tillman County has the oldest housing nearby, with 83% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Cotton | Oklahoma median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 34% | 24% | 17 of 77 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 68% | 55% | 17 of 77 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 11% | 22% | 68 of 77 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 12% | 12% | 43 of 77 |
| Vacant homes | 24% | 17% | 15 of 77 |
| Wood or propane heat | 8.5% | 13% | 55 of 77 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 8/yr | 13/yr | 65 of 77 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 10/yr | 11/yr | 44 of 77 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 53/yr | 65/yr | 67 of 77 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 109/yr | 98/yr | 10 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 Cotton County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in May, 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