Erath County, Texas · Stephenville
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Pipes freeze in Erath County on about 4 nights a year, mostly midwinter. Older homes, 16% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 9.9 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 Erath County spike on heavy-rain days, about 9.9 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 30 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
8% of occupied homes in Erath County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Texas county median of 6.5%.
With 128 muggy nights a year, mold in Erath County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 43,794 people live in Erath County, 1,083 square miles in central Texas, in roughly 18,694 homes. The county seat is Stephenville, and Dublin, Lingleville and Huckabay round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1991.
53/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Erath County ranks 92 of 232 Texas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Erath County ranks highest compared with other Texas counties.
Erath County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Texas. It averaged 32 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 4 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 68th.
The longest cold spell was straight 8 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -4°F on February 16, 2021. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from midwinter, 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 19 and end around Mar 5.
Rainfall is about average for Texas. About 9.9 days a year bring an inch or more (85th of 232), most often in May, out of 35.8 inches of total precipitation. On September 2, 2020, 4.05 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.04 inches, ending October 26, 2023, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 30 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 36% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Erath among the newer housing stocks of Texas's 232 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 37% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
26% 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.
15% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, close to the Texas county median of 13.4%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
Renters occupy 37% 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
About 128 nights a year in Erath County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (119th of 232 counties). May is the wettest month. 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 Erath County it's 17% utility gas, 75% electric, 7% 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 Erath County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Eastland and Palo Pinto get more pipe-freeze nights than Erath. Hamilton County has the oldest housing nearby, with 69% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Erath | Texas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 16% | 20% | 150 of 232 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 36% | 46% | 166 of 232 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 37% | 26% | 44 of 232 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 15% | 13% | 103 of 232 |
| Vacant homes | 10% | 17% | 192 of 232 |
| Wood or propane heat | 7.7% | 6.5% | 99 of 232 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 4/yr | 3/yr | 68 of 232 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.9/yr | 7.8/yr | 85 of 232 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 30/yr | 27/yr | 100 of 232 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 128/yr | 129/yr | 119 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 Erath County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in April, May 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