Otoe County, Nebraska · Nebraska City
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Pipes freeze in Otoe County on about 51 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 40% of the stock here, are most at risk.
June brings the most downpours to Otoe County, part of 8.3 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Otoe County spike on heavy-rain days, about 8.3 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Otoe County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.24 inches, and about 96 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
17% of occupied homes in Otoe County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 46 times a year in Otoe County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 16,241 people live in Otoe County, 616 square miles in southeast Nebraska, in roughly 6,999 homes. The county seat is Nebraska City, and Syracuse, Palmyra and Unadilla round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1971.
48/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Otoe County ranks 58 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Otoe County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Otoe County is milder than most of Nebraska, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. It averaged 129 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 51 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 81st.
The longest cold spell was straight 16 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -26°F on February 16, 2021. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 20 and the last spring freeze around Apr 20.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Nebraska. Of roughly 32.8 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 8.3 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 1st of 93. May, June and July see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.24 inches, September 22, 2019. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.01 inches (through June 26, 2021).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 96 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
63% of homes in Otoe County predate 1980, below the Nebraska county median of 73.1%, which ranks 80th of Nebraska's 93 counties.
22% of homes were built in 2000 or later, more than in most of Nebraska. Newer plumbing rarely corrodes, so damage here tends to come from appliance supply lines, water heaters, sump pumps and storms.
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. 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 Otoe County's occupied homes: 47% utility gas, 34% electric, 16% propane and 1% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Otoe County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Lancaster gets more pipe-freeze nights than Otoe. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Nemaha County has the oldest housing nearby, with 81% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Otoe | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 40% | 49% | 71 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 63% | 73% | 80 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 22% | 12% | 9 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 4.8% | 5% | 49 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 8.8% | 14% | 72 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 17% | 19% | 57 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 51/yr | 64/yr | 81 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.3/yr | 5.1/yr | 1 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 96/yr | 112/yr | 87 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 Otoe 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