Nottoway County, Virginia · Nottoway
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Nottoway County averages 12 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 35% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 9.7 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 Nottoway County gets about 9.7 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 73 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
21% of occupied homes in Nottoway County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Virginia county median of 11.9%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 78 times a year in Nottoway County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 15,597 people live in Nottoway County, 314 square miles in southeast Virginia, in roughly 6,749 homes. The county seat is Nottoway, and Blackstone, Crewe and Burkeville round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1973.
62/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Nottoway County ranks 17 of 95 Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Nottoway County ranks highest compared with other Virginia counties.
For frozen pipes, Nottoway County is a typical Virginia county, which is still plenty. It averaged 76 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 12 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 95 Virginia counties that's 55th.
On January 7, 2018 the low fell to about -4°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 4 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs December to February. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 8 and the last spring freeze around Apr 6.
Rainfall is about average for Virginia. The county gets about 46.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 9.7 days of an inch or more (53rd of 95). Those downpours cluster in May, June and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 5 inches on October 12, 2018. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.4 inches (through May 19, 2018).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 73 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
58% of homes in Nottoway County predate 1980, above the Virginia county median of 46.2%, which ranks 11th of Virginia's 95 counties.
Before 1960 is when 35% 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.
23% 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.
Here 8% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
Renters occupy 33% 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 78 times a year here, above the Virginia county median of 64. 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 Nottoway County it's 2% utility gas, 62% electric, 13% propane and 8% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Virginia 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 Nottoway County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Amelia gets more pipe-freeze nights than Nottoway. Lunenburg County has the oldest housing nearby, with 62% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Nottoway | Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 35% | 20% | 5 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 58% | 46% | 11 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 25% | 77 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.1% | 9.6% | 59 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 17% | 15% | 38 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 21% | 12% | 17 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 12/yr | 14/yr | 55 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.7/yr | 10/yr | 53 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 73/yr | 77/yr | 59 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 78/yr | 64/yr | 30 of 95 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Virginia county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Nottoway County: freezing from December to February, 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