Florence County, South Carolina · Florence
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With 15% 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.
September brings the most downpours to Florence County, part of 10.6 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
15% 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.
Florence County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 6.36 inches, and about 32 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
4% of occupied homes in Florence County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the South Carolina county median of 5.1%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 118 times a year in Florence County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 137,117 people live in Florence County, 801 square miles in eastern South Carolina, in roughly 62,090 homes. The county seat is Florence, and Lake City, Timmonsville and Johnsonville round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1986.
39/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Florence County ranks 37 of 46 South Carolina counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Florence County ranks highest compared with other South Carolina counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Florence County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 2 nights a year at or below 20°F (20th of 46) and 32 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs January. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Nov 21 and end around Mar 14.
Florence gets fewer downpours than most South Carolina counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 51.5 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 10.6 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 39th of 46. April, August and September see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 6.36 inches, October 8, 2016. The worst three-day stretch dropped 9.83 inches, ending October 5, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 32 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
41% of homes in Florence County predate 1980, close to the South Carolina county median of 39.8%, which ranks 22nd of South Carolina's 46 counties.
The mix runs from 15% built before 1960 to 28% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 32% 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.
18% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, below the South Carolina county median of 22%. 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.
Renters occupy 36% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 118 times a year here, close to the South Carolina county median of 113.5. 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 Florence County it's 11% utility gas, 83% electric, 4% propane and under 1% 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 stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Florence County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Darlington, Dillon, Lee and Marlboro get more pipe-freeze nights than Florence. Marlboro County has the oldest housing nearby, with 56% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Florence | South Carolina median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 15% | 15% | 25 of 46 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 41% | 40% | 22 of 46 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 28% | 25% | 19 of 46 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 18% | 22% | 31 of 46 |
| Vacant homes | 15% | 16% | 25 of 46 |
| Wood or propane heat | 4.4% | 5.1% | 29 of 46 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 2/yr | 20 of 46 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 11/yr | 12/yr | 39 of 46 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 32/yr | 35/yr | 28 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 Florence County: freezing from January, heavy rain in April, August 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