Allendale County, South Carolina · Allendale
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With 24% of homes built before 1960 and about 2 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
June brings the most downpours to Allendale County, part of 13.5 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Allendale County gets about 13.5 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Allendale County, 7.02 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
9% of occupied homes in Allendale County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the South Carolina county median of 5.1%.
About 118 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
Allendale County covers 408 square miles of southern South Carolina, with about 7,661 residents and 4,050 homes. The county seat is Allendale, and Fairfax, Ulmer and Sycamore round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1977, half after.
70/100 Water Damage Risk Index: High Allendale County ranks 2 of 46 South Carolina counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Allendale County ranks highest compared with other South Carolina counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Allendale County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 30 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 2 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 46 South Carolina counties that's 20th.
Most freezing nights fall from 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.
Freezing nights typically start around Nov 21 and end around Mar 11.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of South Carolina. The county gets about 52 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 13.5 days of an inch or more (6th of 46). Those downpours cluster in January, April and June, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 7.02 inches on August 31, 2023. The worst three-day stretch dropped 9.75 inches, ending August 8, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 30 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.
Housing
South Carolina's 46 counties range widely in housing age; Allendale ranks 4th, with 55% of its homes built before 1980.
24% 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.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 34% 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.
Here 23% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
20% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Renters occupy 38% 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
About 118 nights a year in Allendale County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (12th of 46 counties). August is the wettest month. 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 Allendale County it's 17% utility gas, 73% electric, 4% propane and 5% wood. Wood heat is above the South Carolina 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 Allendale County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Allendale gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Allendale | South Carolina median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 24% | 15% | 7 of 46 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 55% | 40% | 4 of 46 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 12% | 25% | 46 of 46 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 23% | 22% | 22 of 46 |
| Vacant homes | 20% | 16% | 8 of 46 |
| Wood or propane heat | 9.2% | 5.1% | 14 of 46 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 2/yr | 20 of 46 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 14/yr | 12/yr | 6 of 46 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 30/yr | 35/yr | 32 of 46 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 118/yr | 114/yr | 12 of 46 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest South Carolina county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Allendale County: freezing from January, heavy rain in January, April and June.
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