Marshall County, West Virginia · Moundsville
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With 50% of homes built before 1960 and about 29 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 7.2 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 Marshall County gets about 7.2 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Marshall County, 3.54 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
12% of occupied homes in Marshall County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the West Virginia county median of 10.1%.
About 28 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
Marshall County covers 305 square miles of northern West Virginia, with about 29,865 residents and 14,701 homes. The county seat is Moundsville, and McMechen, Glen Dale and Benwood round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1961, half after.
77/100 Water Damage Risk Index: High Marshall County ranks 1 of 55 West Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Marshall County ranks highest compared with other West Virginia counties.
Marshall County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of West Virginia. From 2015–2024 it averaged 29 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 111 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 11th of 55 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 13 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -8°F on February 20, 2015. 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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 30 and end around Apr 25.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of West Virginia. Of roughly 49.4 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 7.2 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 16th of 55. February, June and September see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.54 inches, September 10, 2018. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.08 inches, ending September 11, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 90 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
Roughly 74% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Marshall among the oldest housing stocks of West Virginia's 55 counties.
Before 1960 is when 50% 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.
9% 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.
Beyond water
About 28 nights a year in Marshall County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (26th of 55 counties). June is the wettest month. 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, Marshall County homes break down as 51% utility gas, 33% electric, 5% propane and 7% wood. Wood heat is above the West Virginia norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Marshall County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Marshall gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Ohio County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Marshall | West Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 50% | 31% | 4 of 55 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 74% | 55% | 4 of 55 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 8.1% | 17% | 54 of 55 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.8% | 16% | 46 of 55 |
| Vacant homes | 15% | 17% | 37 of 55 |
| Wood or propane heat | 12% | 10% | 25 of 55 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 29/yr | 25/yr | 11 of 55 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.2/yr | 6.8/yr | 16 of 55 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 90/yr | 89/yr | 18 of 55 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 28/yr | 27/yr | 26 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 Marshall County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in February, 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