Oklahoma Ranked 3rd Worst State For Pipe Bursts

New data shows Oklahoma was the third worst state in the country for pipes bursting.

It can cause a miserable mess and costs thousands of dollars when it happens.

State Farm said claims in Oklahoma for those burst pipes reached $12 million, more than ten times higher than in 2020.

Gina Wilken with State Farm said each year that damage is ranked. This time Oklahoma came out with the 3rd most burst pipe claims in the country, after Texas and Illinois.

"And a lot of that had to do with the February 2021 storm that we had," Wilken said.

It's a lesson many people had to learn the hard way. Oklahoma homes aren't built to withstand freezing temperatures for so long.

"The reason that frozen pipes are such a concern in the south is because of our warmer temperatures so our building codes are different. We insulate our homes differently than the north," she said.

The same can be said for main-lines deep underground.

Tulsa's Manager of Water Distribution Josh Bilby isn't too concerned about major line breaks with the freeze and thaw we've seen this week.

"We've got a couple days that are forecast to be cold but by the weekend it's warm again. That doesn't affect us too much because the colder temperatures, the freeze line so to speak hasn't really gotten into the soil to the depths of our water lines," he said.

Bilby and Wilken both said the pipes in your home can be more susceptible to freezing. It's a good idea to keep faucets dripping when temps stay below freezing.

They said it's also a good idea to know where your home's water shutoff valve is, in case a pipe does spring a leak.