Washington County, Tennessee · Jonesborough
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Washington County averages 13 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 20% of its homes predate 1960.
Basements flood here mostly in February. Washington County averages 6.9 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Washington County spike on heavy-rain days, about 6.9 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 72 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
3% of occupied homes in Washington County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Tennessee county median of 7.8%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 41 times a year in Washington County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Washington County covers 327 square miles of northeast Tennessee, with about 136,261 residents and 62,077 homes. The county seat is Jonesborough, and Johnson City, Oak Grove and Gray round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1985.
47/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Washington County ranks 63 of 95 Tennessee counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Washington County ranks highest compared with other Tennessee counties.
Washington 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 77 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 5 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2015. The coldest night reached about -4°F on February 20, 2015. 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 Nov 1 and end around Apr 11.
Washington gets fewer downpours than most Tennessee counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 48.2 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.9 days of an inch or more (95th of 95). Those downpours cluster in February, March and April, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.88 inches on April 13, 2020. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.33 inches, ending September 27, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 72 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
43% of homes in Washington County predate 1980, close to the Tennessee county median of 41.2%, which ranks 37th of Tennessee's 95 counties.
The mix runs from 20% built before 1960 to 29% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
28% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 8% 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.
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
Washington County averages 41 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Washington County homes break down as 15% utility gas, 81% electric, 2% propane and under 1% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Washington County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Carter, Sullivan and Unicoi get more pipe-freeze nights than Washington. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Unicoi County has the oldest housing nearby, with 57% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Washington | Tennessee median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 20% | 16% | 22 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 43% | 41% | 37 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 29% | 27% | 41 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.4% | 16% | 77 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 8.6% | 12% | 74 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 2.9% | 7.8% | 84 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 13/yr | 11/yr | 18 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.9/yr | 14/yr | 95 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 72/yr | 60/yr | 9 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 41/yr | 74/yr | 88 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 Washington County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in February, March and April.
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