Harrison County, West Virginia · Clarksburg
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Harrison County averages 24 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 45% of its homes predate 1960.
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.
Sewage backups in Harrison County spike on heavy-rain days, about 6.8 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 90 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
3% of occupied homes in Harrison County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the West Virginia county median of 10.1%.
About 30 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 30,537 homes and around 64,984 residents, Harrison County is 416 square miles of central West Virginia. Clarksburg is the county seat; Bridgeport, Shinnston and Stonewood are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1965, half after.
59/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Harrison County ranks 14 of 55 West Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Harrison County ranks highest compared with other West Virginia counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Harrison County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 24 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 103 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 31st of 55 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 13 days below freezing (ending January 2018), and the low bottomed out near -8°F on February 20, 2015.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to March. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 30 and end around Apr 26.
Rainfall is about average for West Virginia. About 6.8 days a year bring an inch or more (27th of 55), most often in June, out of 48.3 inches of total precipitation. On September 30, 2016, 2.43 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.08 inches, ending September 11, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 90 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; Harrison ranks 9th, with 67% of its homes built before 1980.
45% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
Here 8% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 30 times a year here, above the West Virginia county median of 27. 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 Harrison County it's 78% utility gas, 18% electric, 2% propane and 1% 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 Harrison County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Barbour, Doddridge, Marion, Upshur and Wetzel get more pipe-freeze nights than Harrison. Wetzel County has the oldest housing nearby, with 72% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Harrison | West Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 45% | 31% | 7 of 55 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 67% | 55% | 9 of 55 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 15% | 17% | 43 of 55 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.6% | 16% | 52 of 55 |
| Vacant homes | 14% | 17% | 40 of 55 |
| Wood or propane heat | 3.2% | 10% | 53 of 55 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 24/yr | 25/yr | 31 of 55 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.8/yr | 6.8/yr | 27 of 55 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 90/yr | 89/yr | 18 of 55 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 30/yr | 27/yr | 23 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 Harrison County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in February, June 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