Hall County, Nebraska · Grand Island
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Hall County averages 56 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 31% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.7 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Hall County gets about 5.7 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 110 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
4% of occupied homes in Hall County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
About 30 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
Hall County covers 547 square miles of southern Nebraska, with about 62,536 residents and 25,569 homes. Grand Island is the county seat; Wood River, Cairo and Doniphan are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1975.
38/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Hall County ranks 83 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Hall County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Hall County is milder than most of Nebraska, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 56 nights a year at or below 20°F (68th of 93) and 142 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about -26°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 15 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November to March, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 14 and the last spring freeze around Apr 24.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Nebraska. The county gets about 26.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 5.7 days of an inch or more (22nd of 93). Those downpours cluster in April, May and August, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.09 inches on March 14, 2021. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.28 inches (through March 16, 2021).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 110 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 59% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Hall among the newer housing stocks of Nebraska's 93 counties.
Growth since 2000 added 18% of today's homes. In houses that new, the weak points are washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, water heaters and sump pumps rather than the pipes in the walls.
About 23% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
Renters occupy 38% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 30 times a year here, above the Nebraska county median of 27. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Hall County homes break down as 64% utility gas, 31% electric, 3% propane and under 1% wood. Fires here are likelier to start in the kitchen or the wiring than in the furnace. After any fire, keep the HVAC off until ducts are checked, or soot will travel through the house.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Hall County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Buffalo, Howard and Merrick get more pipe-freeze nights than Hall. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Howard County has the oldest housing nearby, with 70% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Hall | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 31% | 49% | 87 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 59% | 73% | 86 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 12% | 16 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 3.8% | 5% | 62 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 3.8% | 14% | 91 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 3.8% | 19% | 90 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 56/yr | 64/yr | 68 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.7/yr | 5.1/yr | 22 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 110/yr | 112/yr | 50 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 30/yr | 27/yr | 38 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 Hall County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in April, May 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