Wise County, Virginia · Wise
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Wise County averages 22 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 25% of its homes predate 1960.
February brings the most downpours to Wise County, part of 9.2 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Wise County gets about 9.2 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Wise County, 3.25 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
6% of occupied homes in Wise County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Virginia county median of 11.9%.
About 14 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
About 35,448 people live in Wise County, 403 square miles in southwest Virginia, in roughly 16,627 homes. The county seat is Wise, and Big Stone Gap, Coeburn and Appalachia round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1980, half after.
57/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Wise County ranks 28 of 95 Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Wise County ranks highest compared with other Virginia counties.
Wise County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Virginia. It averaged 98 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 22 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 16th.
On February 20, 2015 the low fell to about -16°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 March, 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 Oct 24 and end around Apr 21.
Rainfall is about average for Virginia. About 9.2 days a year bring an inch or more (59th of 95), most often in February, out of 51.8 inches of total precipitation. On August 18, 2021, 3.25 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.73 inches, ending July 28, 2022, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 86 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
50% of homes in Wise County predate 1980, close to the Virginia county median of 46.2%, which ranks 30th of Virginia's 95 counties.
Before 1960 is when 25% 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.
About 31% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 29% 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.
Beyond water
About 14 nights a year in Wise County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (85th of 95 counties). February 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, Wise County homes break down as 1% utility gas, 88% electric, 4% 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 Wise County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Wise gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Scott County has the oldest housing nearby, with 58% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Wise | Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 25% | 20% | 29 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 50% | 46% | 30 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 25% | 75 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 29% | 9.6% | 2 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 16% | 15% | 40 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 6.3% | 12% | 81 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 22/yr | 14/yr | 16 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9.2/yr | 10/yr | 59 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 86/yr | 77/yr | 21 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 14/yr | 64/yr | 85 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 Wise County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in February, May and July.
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