Falls County, Texas · Marlin
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Pipes freeze in Falls County on about 2 nights a year, mostly midwinter. Older homes, 28% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in May. Falls County averages 9.6 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Falls County spike on heavy-rain days, about 9.6 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 21 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
15% of occupied homes in Falls County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Texas county median of 6.5%.
About 142 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
About 17,291 people live in Falls County, 765 square miles in eastern Texas, in roughly 7,450 homes. The county seat is Marlin, and Rosebud, Golinda and Chilton round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1976, half after.
59/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Falls County ranks 50 of 232 Texas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Falls County ranks highest compared with other Texas counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Falls County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 2 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 22 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 126th of 232 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 7 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near 1°F on February 16, 2021.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 22 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 1°F on February 16, 2021.
Rainfall is about average for Texas. About 9.6 days a year bring an inch or more (91st of 232), most often in May, out of 39.2 inches of total precipitation. On October 24, 2015, 4.92 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 7.64 inches, ending October 25, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 21 days a year. Each cycle melts and refreezes water at roof edges and in foundation cracks, which is how ice dams and basement seepage get started.
Housing
60% of homes in Falls County predate 1980, above the Texas county median of 45.8%, which ranks 53rd of Texas's 232 counties.
28% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 12% 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
About 142 nights a year in Falls County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (78th 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 expectMain heating fuel in Falls County's occupied homes: 28% utility gas, 54% electric, 13% 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 Falls County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Falls gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Falls | Texas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 28% | 20% | 63 of 232 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 60% | 46% | 53 of 232 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 26% | 151 of 232 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 12% | 13% | 133 of 232 |
| Vacant homes | 15% | 17% | 135 of 232 |
| Wood or propane heat | 15% | 6.5% | 32 of 232 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 3/yr | 126 of 232 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.6/yr | 7.8/yr | 91 of 232 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 21/yr | 27/yr | 142 of 232 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 142/yr | 129/yr | 78 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 Falls 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