Johnson County, Nebraska · Tecumseh
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With 57% of homes built before 1960 and about 50 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
May brings the most downpours to Johnson County, part of 7.2 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Johnson County spike on heavy-rain days, about 7.2 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Johnson County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.33 inches, and about 100 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
27% of occupied homes in Johnson County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
About 46 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
Johnson County covers 376 square miles of southeast Nebraska, with about 5,261 residents and 2,098 homes. Besides Tecumseh, the county seat, the biggest communities are Sterling, Cook and Elk Creek. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1953.
62/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Johnson County ranks 11 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Johnson County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Johnson County is milder than most of Nebraska, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. It averaged 130 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 50 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 93 Nebraska counties that's 88th.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 16 days below freezing (ending January 2018), and the low bottomed out near -26°F on February 16, 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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 20 and the last spring freeze around Apr 19.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Nebraska. Of roughly 31.6 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 7.2 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 6th of 93. May, June and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.33 inches, September 22, 2019. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.31 inches (through June 5, 2015).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 100 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
78% of homes in Johnson County predate 1980, close to the Nebraska county median of 73.1%, which ranks 29th of Nebraska's 93 counties.
57% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
With 19% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Renters occupy 33% 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 46 times a year here, above 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Johnson County homes break down as 40% utility gas, 32% electric, 24% propane and 3% 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 Johnson County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Otoe gets more pipe-freeze nights than Johnson. Nemaha County has the oldest housing nearby, with 81% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Johnson | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 57% | 49% | 21 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 78% | 73% | 29 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 11% | 12% | 51 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 3.9% | 5% | 59 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 19% | 14% | 31 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 27% | 19% | 31 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 50/yr | 64/yr | 88 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.2/yr | 5.1/yr | 6 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 100/yr | 112/yr | 77 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 46/yr | 27/yr | 11 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 Johnson County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, June 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