Butler County, Nebraska · David City
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Pipes freeze in Butler County on about 59 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 43% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in May. Butler County averages 6.2 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
43% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Butler County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 3.83 inches, and about 99 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
32% of occupied homes in Butler County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
About 36 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
About 8,424 people live in Butler County, 585 square miles in eastern Nebraska, in roughly 4,039 homes. Besides David City, the county seat, the biggest communities are Bellwood, Brainard and Rising City. Half the homes here were built before 1968, half after.
51/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Butler County ranks 41 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Butler County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Butler County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 59 nights a year at or below 20°F (62nd of 93) and 138 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 20 days below freezing (ending March 2019), and the low bottomed out near -30°F on February 16, 2021.
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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 18 and end around Apr 22.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Nebraska. About 6.2 days a year bring an inch or more (14th of 93), most often in May, out of 29.6 inches of total precipitation. On August 16, 2017, 3.83 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.19 inches, ending March 16, 2021, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 99 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
Roughly 67% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Butler among the newer housing stocks of Nebraska's 93 counties.
The mix runs from 43% built before 1960 to 14% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
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
Butler County averages 36 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30 to 50%. Basements can pass 60% on their own in summer, so a dehumidifier matters even without a leak, and anything wet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours.
Mold remediation: what to expectMain heating fuel in Butler County's occupied homes: 26% utility gas, 39% electric, 28% propane and 4% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than in most Nebraska counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Butler County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Colfax, Platte and Polk get more pipe-freeze nights than Butler. Polk County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Butler | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 43% | 49% | 63 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 67% | 73% | 67 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 14% | 12% | 36 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.9% | 5% | 20 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 13% | 14% | 56 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 32% | 19% | 21 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 59/yr | 64/yr | 62 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.2/yr | 5.1/yr | 14 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 99/yr | 112/yr | 80 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 36/yr | 27/yr | 26 of 93 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Nebraska county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Butler County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, 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