Lavaca County, Texas · Hallettsville
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Lavaca County averages 1 night a year at 20°F or colder, mostly midwinter, and 31% of its homes predate 1960.
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 Lavaca 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. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
18% of occupied homes in Lavaca County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Texas county median of 6.5%.
With 178 muggy nights a year, mold in Lavaca County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 10,518 homes and around 20,552 residents, Lavaca County is 970 square miles of southeast Texas. Hallettsville is the county seat; Yoakum, Shiner and Moulton are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1977, half after.
59/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Lavaca County ranks 54 of 232 Texas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Lavaca 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 1 night a year at or below 20°F (159th of 232) and 8 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 8 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 13°F on February 16, 2021.
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 38.6 inches of total precipitation. On August 26, 2017, 7.08 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 15.37 inches, ending August 28, 2017, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Housing
54% of homes in Lavaca County predate 1980, above the Texas county median of 45.8%, which ranks 79th of Texas's 232 counties.
Before 1960 is when 31% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 16% 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 19% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 178 times a year here, above the Texas county median of 129. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectMain heating fuel in Lavaca County's occupied homes: 19% utility gas, 63% electric, 15% propane and 3% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Texas norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Lavaca County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Lavaca 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 | Lavaca | Texas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 31% | 20% | 49 of 232 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 54% | 46% | 79 of 232 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 24% | 26% | 129 of 232 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 16% | 13% | 77 of 232 |
| Vacant homes | 19% | 17% | 85 of 232 |
| Wood or propane heat | 18% | 6.5% | 12 of 232 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 1/yr | 3/yr | 159 of 232 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.9/yr | 7.8/yr | 85 of 232 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 7/yr | 27/yr | 196 of 232 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 178/yr | 129/yr | 29 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 Lavaca County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in April, May and June.
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