Anderson County, Texas · Palestine
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Anderson County averages 2 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly midwinter, and 17% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 14.9 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Anderson County spike on heavy-rain days, about 14.9 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 23 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
7% of occupied homes in Anderson County heat mainly with wood or propane, close to the Texas county median of 6.5%.
About 137 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
With 20,648 homes and around 58,439 residents, Anderson County is 1,063 square miles of eastern Texas. Palestine is the county seat; Elkhart, Frankston and Neches are the next largest communities. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1985.
54/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Anderson County ranks 82 of 232 Texas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Anderson County ranks highest compared with other Texas counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Anderson County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 24 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 2 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 232 Texas counties that's 126th.
On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about 0°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 6 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 24 nights a year at or below 32°F, and that's exactly why they do damage: pipes in attics, exterior walls and slab-edge plumbing are rarely insulated. The coldest night in the record was about 0°F on February 16, 2021.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Texas. About 14.9 days a year bring an inch or more (32nd of 232), most often in May, out of 48.9 inches of total precipitation. On April 18, 2016, 3.51 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.23 inches, ending September 4, 2020, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 23 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
Roughly 41% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Anderson near the middle of Texas's 232 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 31% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
About 29% 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.
Here 22% 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.
Beyond water
Anderson County averages 137 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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, Anderson County homes break down as 18% utility gas, 75% electric, 6% propane and under 1% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Anderson County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Henderson gets more pipe-freeze nights than Anderson. Houston County has the oldest housing nearby, with 48% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Anderson | Texas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 17% | 20% | 138 of 232 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 41% | 46% | 151 of 232 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 31% | 26% | 81 of 232 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 22% | 13% | 43 of 232 |
| Vacant homes | 15% | 17% | 134 of 232 |
| Wood or propane heat | 6.6% | 6.5% | 117 of 232 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 3/yr | 126 of 232 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 15/yr | 7.8/yr | 32 of 232 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 23/yr | 27/yr | 129 of 232 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 137/yr | 129/yr | 94 of 232 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Texas county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Anderson County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in March, April and May.
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