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Johnston County, Oklahoma · Tishomingo

Water damage restoration in Johnston County, Oklahoma

Water spreading, a burst pipe, sewage, mold or smoke? Call to be connected with a restoration company that serves Tishomingo, Mannsville and Ravia. Start the steps below while you wait.

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Burst or frozen pipe: what to do in your Johnston County home right now

Johnston County averages 7 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to January, and 18% of its homes predate 1960.

  1. Shut off the main water valve.
  2. Open the lowest faucet in the house.
  3. Turn off the water heater.

Full step-by-step guide

Flooded basement: what to do in your Johnston County home right now

Basements flood here mostly in May. Johnston County averages 12.4 days a year with an inch of rain or more.

  1. Don't step in if water could reach outlets, cords, or the electrical panel.
  2. Check the sump pump.
  3. Note where the water came in.

Full step-by-step guide

Sewage or toilet backup: what to do in your Johnston County home right now

Backups often follow heavy rain, which Johnston County gets about 12.4 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.

  1. Treat it as contaminated (Category 3) water.
  2. Stop using every drain, toilet, and appliance that drains.
  3. Don't try to clean carpet, padding, or upholstery that sewage touched.

Full step-by-step guide

Roof leak or storm: what to do in your Johnston County home right now

Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 47 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.

  1. Stay off the roof during the storm.
  2. Catch the water and protect the floor.
  3. Watch for a sagging ceiling.

Full step-by-step guide

Fire or smoke: what to do in your Johnston County home right now

16% of occupied homes in Johnston County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Oklahoma county median of 12.5%.

  1. Don't go back in until the fire department says it's safe.
  2. Don't run the furnace or central air.
  3. Don't wipe soot off walls or furniture.

Full step-by-step guide

Mold or musty smell: what to do in your Johnston County home right now

About 114 nights a year here stay at 65°F or warmer, so basements and crawl spaces can grow mold even without a leak.

  1. Find and stop the moisture first.
  2. Don't disturb large patches.
  3. Small spots can be a DIY job.

Full step-by-step guide

Local risk profile

Why homes in Johnston County get water damage

With 4,708 homes and around 10,278 residents, Johnston County is 643 square miles of southeast Oklahoma. Besides Tishomingo, the county seat, the biggest communities are Mannsville, Ravia and Wapanucka. The county's median home was built in 1983.

44/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Johnston County ranks 58 of 77 Oklahoma counties. See the statewide ranking and method.
1

Muggy, mold-friendly summers

114 nights a year at 65°F or warmer

Mold after water damage →
2

Mobile home freeze-ups

19% manufactured homes

Keeping lines from freezing →
3

Heavy rain and basements

12.4 days a year with an inch or more

Basement waterproofing →

The three factors where Johnston County ranks highest compared with other Oklahoma counties.

Weather

Johnston County is milder than most of Oklahoma, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. From 2015–2024 it averaged 7 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 50 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 68th of 77 counties.

On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about -6°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 10 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.

Most freezing nights fall from December to January, 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 15 and the last spring freeze around Mar 13.

Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Oklahoma. The county gets about 45.9 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 12.4 days of an inch or more (24th of 77). Those downpours cluster in March, May and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 8.08 inches on September 22, 2018. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 10.18 inches (through September 23, 2018).

About 47 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.

18
Freezing nights per month, 2015–2024 average
2.5
Days with 1 inch or more of rain per month, 2015–2024 average

Housing

What Johnston County's homes are made of

Oklahoma's 77 counties range widely in housing age; Johnston ranks 58th, with 45% of its homes built before 1980.

27% of homes were built in 2000 or later, more than in most of Oklahoma. Newer plumbing rarely corrodes, so damage here tends to come from appliance supply lines, water heaters, sump pumps and storms.

The 1980s and 1990s account for 28% 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.

Manufactured and mobile homes make up 19% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.

Homes by year built

  • Before 19405%
  • 1940–195913%
  • 1960–197927%
  • 1980–199928%
  • 2000 or later27%
Owner-occupied
72%
Oklahoma median 73%
Single-family
75%
of all homes
Median home value
$117k
Oklahoma median $146k

Beyond water

Mold and fire damage in Johnston County

Mold

Johnston County averages 114 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 expect

Fire and smoke

Main heating fuel in Johnston County's occupied homes: 12% utility gas, 70% electric, 13% propane and 3% wood. Fires here are likelier to start in the kitchen or the wiring than in the furnace. After any fire, keep the HVAC off until ducts are checked, or soot will travel through the house.

Fire and smoke cleanup: first steps

Coverage

Communities served

Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Johnston County. The largest communities by population:

  • Tishomingo3,083
  • Mannsville913
  • Ravia491
  • Wapanucka432
  • Coleman287
  • Mill Creek278
  • Milburn262
  • Bee160
  • Bromide133
  • Pontotoc76
  • Emet64
  • Earl60

Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.

Nearby

Neighboring counties

Coal and Murray get more pipe-freeze nights than Johnston. Coal County has the oldest housing nearby, with 60% of homes built before 1980.

By the numbers

Johnston County compared with Oklahoma

FactorJohnstonOklahoma medianRank
Homes built before 1960 18% 24% 53 of 77
Homes built before 1980 45% 55% 58 of 77
Homes built 2000 or later 27% 22% 16 of 77
Manufactured or mobile homes 19% 12% 14 of 77
Vacant homes 17% 17% 37 of 77
Wood or propane heat 16% 13% 30 of 77
Nights at 20°F or colder 7/yr 13/yr 68 of 77
Days with 1 inch+ of rain 12/yr 11/yr 24 of 77
Freeze-thaw days 47/yr 65/yr 74 of 77
Muggy nights (65°F+) 114/yr 98/yr 4 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

Johnston County water damage FAQ

Which towns in Johnston County does this cover?
Calls are routed to restoration companies that serve all of Johnston County, including Tishomingo, Mannsville, Ravia, Wapanucka, Coleman and Mill Creek, plus the townships and rural areas around them. If the first company can't reach you quickly, ask to be connected with another.
How often do pipes freeze in Johnston County?
Pipe-freeze weather, 20°F or colder, comes about 7 nights a year in Johnston County, from December to January. Pipes along outside walls and in crawl spaces go first.
What causes the most water damage in Johnston County?
Based on the county's housing and weather data, the biggest local factors are muggy, mold-friendly summers, mobile home freeze-ups and heavy rain and basements. Appliance supply lines and water heaters cause leaks everywhere.
Will my insurance cover water damage in Johnston County?
Pipe bursts and appliance failures are typically covered; slow leaks, seepage and floodwater typically aren't. Ask your agent about water backup coverage, given 12.4 heavy-rain days a year here.
How fast does mold start in a Johnston County home?
The EPA advises drying wet materials within 24 to 48 hours. In May, the county's wettest month, and on the 114 muggy summer nights a year when lows stay at 65°F or above, basements dry slowly on their own, so start fans and dehumidifiers the same day.

Water won't wait. Neither should you.

Peak risk months in Johnston County: freezing from December to January, heavy rain in March, May and October.

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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

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