Stewart County, Tennessee · Dover
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Pipes freeze in Stewart County on about 13 nights a year, mostly December to February. Older homes, 11% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in February. Stewart County averages 15 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
11% 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.
Stewart County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 3.68 inches, and about 58 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
26% of occupied homes in Stewart County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Tennessee county median of 7.8%.
With 88 muggy nights a year, mold in Stewart County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
Stewart County covers 460 square miles of northwest Tennessee, with about 14,027 residents and 6,718 homes. The county seat is Dover, and Cumberland City and Big Rock round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1989.
58/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Stewart County ranks 28 of 95 Tennessee counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Stewart County ranks highest compared with other Tennessee counties.
Stewart County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Tennessee. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 13 nights a year at or below 20°F (18th of 95) and 65 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 8 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -2°F on December 23, 2022. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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 Nov 7 and end around Mar 30.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Tennessee. The county gets about 53.9 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 15 days of an inch or more (27th of 95). Those downpours cluster in February, March and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.68 inches on September 1, 2017. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.97 inches, ending September 29, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 58 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; Stewart ranks 67th, with 37% of its homes built before 1980.
Housing age is mixed: 11% of homes are pre-1960 and 29% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 33% 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.
Here 21% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
21% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 88 times a year here, above the Tennessee county median of 74. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Stewart County it's 3% utility gas, 70% electric, 23% propane and 3% wood. Wood and propane heat are 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 Stewart County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Stewart gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Benton County has the oldest housing nearby, with 50% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Stewart | Tennessee median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 11% | 16% | 79 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 37% | 41% | 67 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 29% | 27% | 36 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 21% | 16% | 26 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 21% | 12% | 8 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 26% | 7.8% | 3 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 13/yr | 11/yr | 18 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 15/yr | 14/yr | 27 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 58/yr | 60/yr | 66 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 88/yr | 74/yr | 16 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 Stewart 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