Cabell County, West Virginia · Huntington
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With 36% of homes built before 1960 and about 19 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
Basements flood here mostly in February. Cabell County averages 6.9 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Cabell County spike on heavy-rain days, about 6.9 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Cabell County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.55 inches, and about 77 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
4% of occupied homes in Cabell County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the West Virginia county median of 10.1%.
About 53 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 46,030 homes and around 92,739 residents, Cabell County is 281 square miles of southwest West Virginia. The county seat is Huntington, and Pea Ridge, Barboursville and Culloden round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1971.
53/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Cabell County ranks 21 of 55 West Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Cabell County ranks highest compared with other West Virginia counties.
Cabell County is milder than most of West Virginia, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. From 2015–2024 it averaged 19 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 88 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 51st of 55 counties.
On February 20, 2015 the low fell to about -14°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 13 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November to March, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 2 and the last spring freeze around Apr 16.
Rainfall is about average for West Virginia. The county gets about 45.3 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.9 days of an inch or more (23rd of 55). Those downpours cluster in February, June and July, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.55 inches on February 17, 2023. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 3.63 inches (through September 10, 2018).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 77 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
West Virginia's 55 counties range widely in housing age; Cabell ranks 11th, with 65% of its homes built before 1980.
Before 1960 is when 36% 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.
8% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, below the West Virginia county median of 16.2%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
Renters occupy 36% 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
About 53 nights a year in Cabell County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (1st of 55 counties). July 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Cabell County it's 45% utility gas, 50% electric, 2% propane and 1% wood. Fires here are likelier to start in the kitchen or the wiring than in the furnace. After any fire, keep the HVAC off until ducts are checked, or soot will travel through the house.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Cabell County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Mason and Putnam get more pipe-freeze nights than Cabell. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Cabell | West Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 36% | 31% | 15 of 55 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 65% | 55% | 11 of 55 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 16% | 17% | 35 of 55 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.7% | 16% | 50 of 55 |
| Vacant homes | 15% | 17% | 38 of 55 |
| Wood or propane heat | 3.8% | 10% | 50 of 55 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 19/yr | 25/yr | 51 of 55 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.9/yr | 6.8/yr | 23 of 55 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 77/yr | 89/yr | 49 of 55 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 53/yr | 27/yr | 1 of 55 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest West Virginia county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Cabell County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in February, June 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