Richmond County, Virginia · Warsaw
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Pipes freeze in Richmond County on about 9 nights a year, mostly December to February. Older homes, 23% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in June. Richmond County averages 9.3 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Richmond County spike on heavy-rain days, about 9.3 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 71 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
5% of occupied homes in Richmond County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Virginia county median of 11.9%.
About 82 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
With 3,970 homes and around 9,095 residents, Richmond County is 191 square miles of eastern Virginia. Warsaw is the county seat. Half the homes here were built before 1978, half after.
46/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Richmond County ranks 64 of 95 Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Richmond County ranks highest compared with other Virginia counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Virginia, and pipes still freeze. From 2015–2024 it averaged 9 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 74 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 71st of 95 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 7 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about 1°F on February 20, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from December to February, 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 12 and end around Mar 28.
Rainfall is about average for Virginia. Of roughly 46.8 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 9.3 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 57th of 95. June, October and December see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 5.13 inches, October 12, 2018. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.46 inches, ending October 13, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 71 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
54% of homes in Richmond County predate 1980, above the Virginia county median of 46.2%, which ranks 17th of Virginia's 95 counties.
Housing age is mixed: 23% of homes are pre-1960 and 23% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 23% 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 10% 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 20% 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
About 82 nights a year in Richmond County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (22nd of 95 counties). June 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Richmond County homes break down as 1% utility gas, 84% electric, 3% propane and 2% 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 Richmond County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Richmond 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 | Richmond | Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 23% | 20% | 37 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 54% | 46% | 17 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 23% | 25% | 62 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 9.5% | 9.6% | 49 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 20% | 15% | 25 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 5.3% | 12% | 85 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 9/yr | 14/yr | 71 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.3/yr | 10/yr | 57 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 71/yr | 77/yr | 65 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 82/yr | 64/yr | 22 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 Richmond County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in June, October and December.
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