Clay County, West Virginia · Clay
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Pipes freeze in Clay County on about 21 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 16% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 6.8 times a year here, most often in June. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Clay County gets about 6.8 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Clay County, 2.97 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
21% of occupied homes in Clay County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the West Virginia county median of 10.1%.
With 35 muggy nights a year, mold in Clay County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 7,835 people live in Clay County, 342 square miles in western West Virginia, in roughly 3,961 homes. Clay is the county seat. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1985.
31/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Clay County ranks 52 of 55 West Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Clay County ranks highest compared with other West Virginia counties.
Clay County is milder than most of West Virginia, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. It averaged 93 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 21 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 55 West Virginia counties that's 46th.
On February 21, 2015 the low fell to about -12°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.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 2 and the last spring freeze around Apr 20.
Rainfall is about average for West Virginia. The county gets about 48.5 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.8 days of an inch or more (27th of 55). Those downpours cluster in February, June and July, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.97 inches on June 24, 2016. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.8 inches (through June 24, 2016).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 82 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
West Virginia's 55 counties range widely in housing age; Clay ranks 50th, with 41% of its homes built before 1980.
23% of homes were built in 2000 or later, more than in most of West Virginia. Newer plumbing rarely corrodes, so damage here tends to come from appliance supply lines, water heaters, sump pumps and storms.
About 36% 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 32% 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.
25% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 35 times a year here, above the West Virginia county median of 27. Mold grows when indoor humidity stays above about 60%, the EPA's ceiling. A basement dehumidifier set to 50% and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours prevents most problems.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Clay County homes break down as 42% utility gas, 37% electric, 8% propane and 12% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than in most West Virginia counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Clay County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Braxton, Calhoun, Nicholas and Roane get more pipe-freeze nights than Clay. Kanawha County has the oldest housing nearby, with 70% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Clay | West Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 16% | 31% | 51 of 55 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 41% | 55% | 50 of 55 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 23% | 17% | 9 of 55 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 32% | 16% | 1 of 55 |
| Vacant homes | 25% | 17% | 12 of 55 |
| Wood or propane heat | 21% | 10% | 15 of 55 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 21/yr | 25/yr | 46 of 55 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.8/yr | 6.8/yr | 27 of 55 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 82/yr | 89/yr | 46 of 55 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 35/yr | 27/yr | 15 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 Clay 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