Hickman County, Tennessee · Centerville
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Pipes freeze in Hickman County on about 12 nights a year, mostly December to February. Older homes, 16% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 14.4 times a year here, most often in February. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Hickman County gets about 14.4 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 63 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
10% of occupied homes in Hickman County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Tennessee county median of 7.8%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 74 times a year in Hickman County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
With 10,711 homes and around 25,436 residents, Hickman County is 612 square miles of western Tennessee. The county seat is Centerville, and Bon Aqua Junction, Lyles and Wrigley round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1989.
54/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Hickman County ranks 39 of 95 Tennessee counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Hickman County ranks highest compared with other Tennessee counties.
Hickman is on the colder side of Tennessee for pipes. It averaged 68 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 12 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 95 Tennessee counties that's 31st.
On January 17, 2024 the low fell to about -5°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 7 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
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 Nov 1 and the last spring freeze around Apr 2.
Rainfall is about average for Tennessee. The county gets about 56.7 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 14.4 days of an inch or more (43rd of 95). Those downpours cluster in February, March and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4 inches on September 1, 2017. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.21 inches (through September 2, 2017).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 63 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
Tennessee's 95 counties range widely in housing age; Hickman ranks 55th, with 40% of its homes built before 1980.
Housing age is mixed: 16% of homes are pre-1960 and 27% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
About 33% 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 Tennessee county median of 15.9%. 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.
Beyond water
About 74 nights a year in Hickman County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (44th of 95 counties). February 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Hickman County it's 19% utility gas, 70% electric, 6% propane and 4% wood. Wood heat is above the Tennessee 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 Hickman County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Dickson and Humphreys get more pipe-freeze nights than Hickman. Humphreys County has the oldest housing nearby, with 53% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Hickman | Tennessee median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 16% | 16% | 51 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 40% | 41% | 55 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 27% | 27% | 48 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 25% | 16% | 12 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 12% | 12% | 47 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 10% | 7.8% | 40 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 12/yr | 11/yr | 31 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 14/yr | 14/yr | 43 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 63/yr | 60/yr | 36 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 74/yr | 74/yr | 44 of 95 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Tennessee county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Hickman County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in February, March and December.
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