Putnam County, West Virginia · Winfield
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Putnam County averages 20 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 14% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.5 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 Putnam County gets about 5.5 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 80 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
4% of occupied homes in Putnam County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the West Virginia county median of 10.1%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 46 times a year in Putnam County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 57,177 people live in Putnam County, 346 square miles in western West Virginia, in roughly 24,963 homes. The county seat is Winfield, and Teays Valley, Hurricane and Eleanor round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1989.
20/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Lower Putnam County ranks 55 of 55 West Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Putnam County ranks highest compared with other West Virginia counties.
Putnam County is milder than most of West Virginia, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 20 nights a year at or below 20°F (48th of 55) and 91 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
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.
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 19.
Putnam 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 June, out of 43.5 inches of total precipitation. On February 17, 2023, 2.55 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 3.31 inches (through September 11, 2018).
About 80 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
West Virginia's 55 counties range widely in housing age; Putnam ranks 53rd, with 37% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 26% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 13% 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.
Beyond water
About 46 nights a year in Putnam County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (5th of 55 counties). June is the wettest month. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Putnam County homes break down as 35% utility gas, 61% electric, 3% propane and under 1% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Putnam County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Jackson and Mason get more pipe-freeze nights than Putnam. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Kanawha County has the oldest housing nearby, with 70% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Putnam | West Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 14% | 31% | 53 of 55 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 37% | 55% | 53 of 55 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 26% | 17% | 5 of 55 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 13% | 16% | 38 of 55 |
| Vacant homes | 6.9% | 17% | 54 of 55 |
| Wood or propane heat | 3.8% | 10% | 50 of 55 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 20/yr | 25/yr | 48 of 55 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.5/yr | 6.8/yr | 49 of 55 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 80/yr | 89/yr | 48 of 55 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 46/yr | 27/yr | 5 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 Putnam County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in February, April and June.
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