Barnwell County, South Carolina · Barnwell
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Pipes freeze in Barnwell County on about 2 nights a year, mostly January. Older homes, 18% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 13.4 times a year here, most often in January. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Barnwell County gets about 13.4 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 31 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
10% of occupied homes in Barnwell County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the South Carolina county median of 5.1%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 115 times a year in Barnwell County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 20,521 people live in Barnwell County, 548 square miles in central South Carolina, in roughly 9,927 homes. Barnwell is the county seat; Williston, Blackville and Hilda are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1983.
63/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Barnwell County ranks 5 of 46 South Carolina counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Barnwell County ranks highest compared with other South Carolina counties.
For frozen pipes, Barnwell County is a typical South Carolina county, which is still plenty. From 2015–2024 it averaged 2 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 31 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 20th of 46 counties.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 18 and the last spring freeze around Mar 11.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of South Carolina. The county gets about 51.7 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 13.4 days of an inch or more (7th of 46). Those downpours cluster in January, April and July, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 6.25 inches on August 31, 2023. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 7.1 inches (through September 3, 2016).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 31 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
Roughly 44% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Barnwell among the oldest housing stocks of South Carolina's 46 counties.
Housing age is mixed: 18% of homes are pre-1960 and 14% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
42% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 33% 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.
18% 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.
Beyond water
About 115 nights a year in Barnwell County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (20th of 46 counties). August 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, Barnwell County homes break down as 13% utility gas, 76% electric, 9% propane and under 1% wood. Propane 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 Barnwell County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Barnwell gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Allendale County has the oldest housing nearby, with 55% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Barnwell | South Carolina median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 18% | 15% | 13 of 46 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 44% | 40% | 16 of 46 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 14% | 25% | 43 of 46 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 33% | 22% | 7 of 46 |
| Vacant homes | 18% | 16% | 13 of 46 |
| Wood or propane heat | 9.8% | 5.1% | 9 of 46 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 2/yr | 20 of 46 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 12/yr | 7 of 46 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 31/yr | 35/yr | 29 of 46 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 115/yr | 114/yr | 20 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 Barnwell County: freezing from January, heavy rain in January, April and July.
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