Pickett County, Tennessee · Byrdstown
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Pickett County averages 15 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 11% of its homes predate 1960.
Basements flood here mostly in February. Pickett County averages 15.3 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Pickett County spike on heavy-rain days, about 15.3 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 65 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
27% of occupied homes in Pickett County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Tennessee county median of 7.8%.
About 61 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
Pickett County covers 163 square miles of northern Tennessee, with about 5,079 residents and 3,360 homes. The county seat is Byrdstown. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1993.
55/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Pickett County ranks 38 of 95 Tennessee counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Pickett County ranks highest compared with other Tennessee counties.
Pickett County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Tennessee. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 15 nights a year at or below 20°F (8th of 95) and 72 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 17, 2024 the low fell to about -7°F, and in the stretch ending February 2015 the county went 5 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Most freezing nights fall from December to February, 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 Oct 28 and end around Apr 13.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Tennessee. Of roughly 58.5 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 15.3 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 21st of 95. February, May and December see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.15 inches, March 28, 2021. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.97 inches, ending April 24, 2017, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 65 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
Tennessee's 95 counties range widely in housing age; Pickett ranks 66th, with 38% of its homes built before 1980.
39% of homes were built in 2000 or later, more than in most of Tennessee. Newer plumbing rarely corrodes, so damage here tends to come from appliance supply lines, water heaters, sump pumps and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 23% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 20% 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.
With 36% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Beyond water
Pickett County averages 61 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in February. 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 Pickett County it's 1% utility gas, 70% electric, 22% propane and 5% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than in most Tennessee counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Pickett County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Fentress and Scott get more pipe-freeze nights than Pickett. Overton County has the oldest housing nearby, with 46% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Pickett | Tennessee median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 11% | 16% | 81 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 38% | 41% | 66 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 39% | 27% | 9 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 20% | 16% | 30 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 36% | 12% | 1 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 27% | 7.8% | 2 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 15/yr | 11/yr | 8 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 15/yr | 14/yr | 21 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 65/yr | 60/yr | 24 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 61/yr | 74/yr | 71 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 Pickett County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in February, May 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