Jim Hogg County, Texas · Hebbronville
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With 29% of homes built before 1960 and about 0 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
Basements flood here mostly in May. Jim Hogg County averages 5.9 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
29% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Jim Hogg County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 3.37 inches.
2% of occupied homes in Jim Hogg County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Texas county median of 6.5%.
About 203 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
Jim Hogg County covers 1,136 square miles of southern Texas, with about 4,727 residents and 1,872 homes. Hebbronville is the county seat; South Fork Estates, Las Lomitas and Guerra are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1977, half after.
47/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Jim Hogg County ranks 146 of 232 Texas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Jim Hogg County ranks highest compared with other Texas counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Texas, and pipes still freeze. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 0 nights a year at or below 20°F (205th of 232) and 3 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 3 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 19°F on February 16, 2021.
Rainfall is about average for Texas. The county gets about 22 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 5.9 days of an inch or more (154th of 232). Those downpours cluster in May, June and September, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.37 inches on August 15, 2022. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.8 inches, ending June 22, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Housing
55% of homes in Jim Hogg County predate 1980, above the Texas county median of 45.8%, which ranks 71st of Texas's 232 counties.
Before 1960 is when 29% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 24% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 9% 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.
With 32% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Renters occupy 44% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 203 times a year here, above 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 expectMain heating fuel in Jim Hogg County's occupied homes: 7% utility gas, 91% electric, 2% 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 Jim Hogg County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Jim Hogg gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Brooks County has the oldest housing nearby, with 60% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Jim Hogg | Texas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 29% | 20% | 57 of 232 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 55% | 46% | 71 of 232 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 26% | 153 of 232 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.5% | 13% | 171 of 232 |
| Vacant homes | 32% | 17% | 13 of 232 |
| Wood or propane heat | 1.9% | 6.5% | 210 of 232 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 0/yr | 3/yr | 205 of 232 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.9/yr | 7.8/yr | 154 of 232 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 3/yr | 27/yr | 218 of 232 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 203/yr | 129/yr | 11 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 Jim Hogg County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in May, June and September.
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