Garfield County, Nebraska · Burwell
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With 49% of homes built before 1960 and about 70 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
July brings the most downpours to Garfield County, part of 5.2 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Garfield County gets about 5.2 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Garfield County, 2.39 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
30% of occupied homes in Garfield County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
With 14 muggy nights a year, mold in Garfield County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 1,718 people live in Garfield County, 569 square miles in central Nebraska, in roughly 990 homes. Burwell is the county seat. Half the homes here were built before 1964, half after.
55/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Garfield County ranks 28 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Garfield County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Garfield County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Nebraska. From 2015–2024 it averaged 70 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 157 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 23rd of 93 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 23 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in March 2019. The coldest night reached about -31°F on February 15, 2021. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from November to April, 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 12 and end around May 8.
Rainfall is about average for Nebraska. Of roughly 26.5 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 5.2 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 41st of 93. May, July and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.39 inches, July 26, 2017. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.65 inches, ending April 19, 2016, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 119 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
Roughly 65% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Garfield among the newer housing stocks of Nebraska's 93 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 17% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
Here 13% 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.
29% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Beyond water
Garfield County averages 14 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 Garfield County's occupied homes: 35% utility gas, 30% electric, 30% propane and under 1% wood. Propane heat is more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Garfield County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Holt and Loup get more pipe-freeze nights than Garfield. Holt County has the oldest housing nearby, with 74% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Garfield | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 49% | 49% | 46 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 65% | 73% | 74 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 17% | 12% | 23 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 13% | 5% | 9 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 29% | 14% | 9 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 30% | 19% | 26 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 70/yr | 64/yr | 23 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.2/yr | 5.1/yr | 41 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 119/yr | 112/yr | 37 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 14/yr | 27/yr | 63 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 Garfield County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in May, July and August.
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