Clay County, Texas · Henrietta
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Pipes freeze in Clay County on about 7 nights a year, mostly December to January. Older homes, 24% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 9.4 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Clay County gets about 9.4 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Clay County, 3.97 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
21% of occupied homes in Clay County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Texas county median of 6.5%.
With 114 muggy nights a year, mold in Clay County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 10,495 people live in Clay County, 1,089 square miles in northern Texas, in roughly 5,163 homes. Henrietta is the county seat; Dean, Petrolia and Byers are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1978.
63/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Clay County ranks 20 of 232 Texas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Clay County ranks highest compared with other Texas counties.
Clay is on the colder side of Texas for pipes. It averaged 47 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 7 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 38th.
On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about -7°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 10 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Most freezing nights fall from December to January, 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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 13 and the last spring freeze around Mar 16.
Rainfall is about average for Texas. The county gets about 36.3 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 9.4 days of an inch or more (93rd of 232). Those downpours cluster in May, June and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.97 inches on May 20, 2015. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.32 inches (through May 8, 2015).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 44 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
Texas's 232 counties range widely in housing age; Clay ranks 83rd, with 53% of its homes built before 1980.
24% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
About 26% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 17% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 114 times a year here, below the Texas county median of 129. 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, Clay County homes break down as 24% utility gas, 52% electric, 19% propane and 2% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than in most Texas 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 Clay County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Clay gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Wichita County has the oldest housing nearby, with 63% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Clay | Texas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 24% | 20% | 86 of 232 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 53% | 46% | 83 of 232 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 26% | 151 of 232 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 17% | 13% | 75 of 232 |
| Vacant homes | 17% | 17% | 112 of 232 |
| Wood or propane heat | 21% | 6.5% | 6 of 232 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 7/yr | 3/yr | 38 of 232 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.4/yr | 7.8/yr | 93 of 232 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 44/yr | 27/yr | 47 of 232 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 114/yr | 129/yr | 160 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 Clay County: freezing from December to January, heavy rain in May, June and October.
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