Delaware County, Oklahoma · Jay
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Delaware County averages 15 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 11% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 13.6 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
11% 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.
In Delaware County, 5.17 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
25% of occupied homes in Delaware County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Oklahoma county median of 12.5%.
About 84 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
With 24,396 homes and around 41,279 residents, Delaware County is 738 square miles of northeast Oklahoma. The county seat is Jay, and Grove, Cleora and Copeland round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1987.
43/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Delaware County ranks 65 of 77 Oklahoma counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Delaware County ranks highest compared with other Oklahoma counties.
For frozen pipes, Delaware County is a typical Oklahoma county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 15 nights a year at or below 20°F (27th of 77) and 74 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 -11°F on February 17, 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 Oct 31 and the last spring freeze around Apr 5.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Oklahoma. About 13.6 days a year bring an inch or more (17th of 77), most often in May, out of 50.5 inches of total precipitation. On May 1, 2019, 5.17 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 6.57 inches (through December 28, 2015).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 67 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
Oklahoma's 77 counties range widely in housing age; Delaware ranks 71st, with 36% of its homes built before 1980.
Growth since 2000 added 28% of today's homes. In houses that new, the weak points are washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, water heaters and sump pumps rather than the pipes in the walls.
About 36% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
25% 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.
With 30% 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
About 84 nights a year in Delaware County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (66th of 77 counties). May is the wettest month. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Delaware County homes break down as 18% utility gas, 55% electric, 17% propane and 8% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Oklahoma norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Delaware County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Craig and Ottawa get more pipe-freeze nights than Delaware. Ottawa County has the oldest housing nearby, with 61% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Delaware | Oklahoma median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 11% | 24% | 69 of 77 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 36% | 55% | 71 of 77 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 28% | 22% | 15 of 77 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 25% | 12% | 3 of 77 |
| Vacant homes | 30% | 17% | 7 of 77 |
| Wood or propane heat | 25% | 13% | 10 of 77 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 15/yr | 13/yr | 27 of 77 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 14/yr | 11/yr | 17 of 77 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 67/yr | 65/yr | 31 of 77 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 84/yr | 98/yr | 66 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 Delaware 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