Marshall County, Tennessee · Lewisburg
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With 17% of homes built before 1960 and about 11 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 13.5 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 Marshall 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 Marshall County, 3.32 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
11% of occupied homes in Marshall County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Tennessee county median of 7.8%.
About 70 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
Marshall County covers 375 square miles of southern Tennessee, with about 36,049 residents and 14,749 homes. The county seat is Lewisburg, and Cornersville and Chapel Hill round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1991.
47/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Marshall County ranks 62 of 95 Tennessee counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Marshall County ranks highest compared with other Tennessee counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Marshall County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 11 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 67 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 45th of 95 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 6 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -7°F on January 17, 2024. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 28 and end around Apr 2.
Rainfall is about average for Tennessee. Of roughly 58.3 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 13.5 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 60th of 95. February, March and December see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.32 inches, March 28, 2021. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.78 inches, ending September 21, 2021, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 63 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
Roughly 38% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Marshall among the newer housing stocks of Tennessee's 95 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 32% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
About 30% 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.
8% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, below 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 70 nights a year in Marshall County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (53rd of 95 counties). February 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Marshall County homes break down as 19% utility gas, 69% electric, 9% propane and 3% wood. Propane 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 Marshall County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Williamson gets more pipe-freeze nights than Marshall. Giles County has the oldest housing nearby, with 48% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Marshall | Tennessee median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 17% | 16% | 42 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 38% | 41% | 64 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 32% | 27% | 25 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.6% | 16% | 81 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 7.6% | 12% | 80 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 11% | 7.8% | 35 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 11/yr | 11/yr | 45 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 14/yr | 14/yr | 60 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 63/yr | 60/yr | 36 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 70/yr | 74/yr | 53 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 Marshall 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