Charlotte and Raleigh Rank in Top 20 Most Clogged Cities During ‘Brown Friday’
Charlotte and Raleigh appeared on Yelp’s roster of cities with the worst plumbing troubles during the post-Thanksgiving chaos known as Brown Friday.
Charlotte and Raleigh appeared on Yelp's roster of cities with the worst plumbing troubles during the post-Thanksgiving chaos known as Brown Friday. The Queen City secured spot No. 16. Raleigh grabbed No. 19.
Yelp examined plumbing searches around Thanksgiving 2024. They compared two weeks before the holiday against Thanksgiving Day plus two weeks after. Both North Carolina cities witnessed roughly a 6% spike in frantic searches for emergency plumbers, dripping faucets, and clogged toilets.
"Brown Friday is always our busiest day of the year, and with last year being busier than the year before, all signs point to even more calls this year," said Josh Campbell, founder and president of Rescue Air & Plumbing in Dallas, to Yelp, per the Charlotte Observer. "With more families cooking at home, increased use of disposable wipes [which can clog pipes], and bigger gatherings putting extra stress on aging pipes, systems are pushed to their limits."
Salt Lake City claimed the top position as America's most clogged city. Dallas followed in second. Honolulu, Miami, and Los Angeles rounded out the top five.
The numbers tracked how often plumbing searches occurred per million queries. Cities received rankings based on percentage increases during Brown Friday.
Minneapolis, San Jose, Austin, New Orleans, and Las Vegas also cracked the top 20. Fresno, Milwaukee, San Diego, San Francisco, and Indianapolis all finished ahead of both North Carolina metros. Oklahoma City, New York, and Washington, D.C. completed the rankings.
Yelp shared ways to dodge plumbing disasters during holidays. Homeowners can book pre-holiday inspections. This catches hidden troubles before company shows up. A mesh strainer helps. Keep scraps, grease, gravy, and stuffing away from drains — blockages can happen fast.
The review site suggested keeping pipes healthy by sharpening disposal blades with ice cubes and flushing hot, soapy water through weekly. Bubbling water, multiple running toilets, and high water pressure are signs that mean trouble's brewing and need quick fixes.
