Hampshire County, West Virginia · Romney
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Pipes freeze in Hampshire County on about 28 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 21% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in September. Hampshire County averages 5.5 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Hampshire County spike on heavy-rain days, about 5.5 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Hampshire County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 3.29 inches, and about 97 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
35% of occupied homes in Hampshire County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the West Virginia county median of 10.1%.
About 20 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
Hampshire County covers 640 square miles of eastern West Virginia, with about 23,465 residents and 12,639 homes. Romney is the county seat; Springfield, Capon Bridge and Green Spring are the next largest communities. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1986.
34/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Hampshire County ranks 47 of 55 West Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Hampshire County ranks highest compared with other West Virginia counties.
Hampshire is on the colder side of West Virginia for pipes. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 28 nights a year at or below 20°F (14th of 55) and 109 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 14 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -3°F on January 7, 2018. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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 Oct 21 and the last spring freeze around Apr 24.
Hampshire gets fewer downpours than most West Virginia counties, but they still fill basements. About 5.5 days a year bring an inch or more (49th of 55), most often in September, out of 39.3 inches of total precipitation. On August 9, 2024, 3.29 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.07 inches (through September 10, 2018).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 97 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; Hampshire ranks 52nd, with 39% of its homes built before 1980.
Growth since 2000 added 24% of today's homes. In houses that new, the weak points are washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, water heaters and sump pumps rather than the pipes in the walls.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 37% 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.
14% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, close to 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.
With 32% 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
Hampshire County averages 20 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Hampshire County it's 2% utility gas, 55% electric, 11% propane and 24% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Hampshire County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Hardy gets more pipe-freeze nights than Hampshire. Mineral County has the oldest housing nearby, with 56% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Hampshire | West Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 21% | 31% | 45 of 55 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 39% | 55% | 52 of 55 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 24% | 17% | 7 of 55 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 14% | 16% | 35 of 55 |
| Vacant homes | 32% | 17% | 5 of 55 |
| Wood or propane heat | 35% | 10% | 4 of 55 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 28/yr | 25/yr | 14 of 55 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.5/yr | 6.8/yr | 49 of 55 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 97/yr | 89/yr | 7 of 55 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 20/yr | 27/yr | 37 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 Hampshire County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in January, June and September.
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