Hitchcock County, Nebraska · Trenton
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Hitchcock County averages 60 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 59% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 3 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 Hitchcock County gets about 3 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Hitchcock County, 2.91 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
61% of occupied homes in Hitchcock County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
With 17 muggy nights a year, mold in Hitchcock County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 1,561 homes and around 2,569 residents, Hitchcock County is 710 square miles of southern Nebraska. Besides Trenton, the county seat, the biggest communities are Culbertson, Stratton and Palisade. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1950.
48/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Hitchcock County ranks 57 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Hitchcock County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Hitchcock County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 60 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 149 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 59th of 93 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 13 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -23°F on February 15, 2021.
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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 16 and end around Apr 24.
Hitchcock gets fewer downpours than most Nebraska counties, but they still fill basements. About 3 days a year bring an inch or more (73rd of 93), most often in May, out of 19.4 inches of total precipitation. On May 26, 2023, 2.91 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.34 inches, ending April 18, 2016, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 128 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 84% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Hitchcock among the oldest housing stocks of Nebraska's 93 counties.
Before 1960 is when 59% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
13% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the Nebraska county median of 5%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
The Census counted 29% of homes as vacant, above the Nebraska county median of 14.2%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 17 times a year here, below the Nebraska county median of 27. Mold grows when indoor humidity stays above about 60%, the EPA's ceiling. A basement dehumidifier set to 50% and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours prevents most problems.
Mold remediation: what to expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Hitchcock County it's 4% utility gas, 31% electric, 57% propane and 5% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Nebraska norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Hitchcock County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Frontier, Hayes and Red Willow get more pipe-freeze nights than Hitchcock. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Hitchcock | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 59% | 49% | 12 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 84% | 73% | 9 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 2.4% | 12% | 93 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 13% | 5% | 10 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 29% | 14% | 10 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 61% | 19% | 11 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 60/yr | 64/yr | 59 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 3/yr | 5.1/yr | 73 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 128/yr | 112/yr | 20 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 17/yr | 27/yr | 61 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 Hitchcock County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, June and July.
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