Roanoke County, Virginia · Salem
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Roanoke County averages 17 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to February, and 17% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 10.6 times a year here, most often in September. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Roanoke County gets about 10.6 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 78 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
5% of occupied homes in Roanoke County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Virginia county median of 11.9%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 45 times a year in Roanoke County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Roanoke County covers 251 square miles of southern Virginia, with about 97,023 residents and 42,331 homes. Salem is the county seat; Cave Spring, Hollins and Vinton are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1978.
51/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Roanoke County ranks 47 of 95 Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Roanoke County ranks highest compared with other Virginia counties.
Roanoke is on the colder side of Virginia for pipes. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 17 nights a year at or below 20°F (31st of 95) and 84 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On February 21, 2015 the low fell to about -1°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 8 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Most freezing nights fall from November 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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 4 and the last spring freeze around Apr 13.
Rainfall is about average for Virginia. The county gets about 47.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 10.6 days of an inch or more (33rd of 95). Those downpours cluster in May, September and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.34 inches on November 12, 2020. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 6.72 inches (through May 22, 2020).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 78 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
Virginia's 95 counties range widely in housing age; Roanoke ranks 18th, with 54% of its homes built before 1980.
Housing age is mixed: 17% of homes are pre-1960 and 19% 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 27% 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.
Beyond water
About 45 nights a year in Roanoke County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (62nd of 95 counties). September is the wettest month. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Roanoke County it's 42% utility gas, 48% electric, 3% propane and 2% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Roanoke County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Craig, Floyd and Montgomery get more pipe-freeze nights than Roanoke. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Roanoke | Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 17% | 20% | 65 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 54% | 46% | 18 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 25% | 72 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 1.8% | 9.6% | 83 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 6.2% | 15% | 78 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 4.6% | 12% | 88 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 17/yr | 14/yr | 31 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 11/yr | 10/yr | 33 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 78/yr | 77/yr | 40 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 45/yr | 64/yr | 62 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 Roanoke County: freezing from November to February, heavy rain in May, September 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