Phelps County, Nebraska · Holdrege
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Phelps County averages 61 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 41% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 4 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 Phelps County gets about 4 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Phelps County, 4.2 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
6% of occupied homes in Phelps County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
With 28 muggy nights a year, mold in Phelps County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 9,009 people live in Phelps County, 540 square miles in southern Nebraska, in roughly 4,170 homes. The county seat is Holdrege, and Bertrand, Loomis and Funk round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1968, half after.
37/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Phelps County ranks 85 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Phelps County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Phelps County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 61 nights a year at or below 20°F (55th of 93) and 145 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On February 15, 2021 the low fell to about -26°F, and in the stretch ending March 2019 the county went 14 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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 15 and end around Apr 29.
Rainfall is about average for Nebraska. About 4 days a year bring an inch or more (62nd of 93), most often in May, out of 24.6 inches of total precipitation. On July 9, 2019, 4.2 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.21 inches, ending April 18, 2016, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 115 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
66% of homes in Phelps County predate 1980, below the Nebraska county median of 73.1%, which ranks 69th of Nebraska's 93 counties.
The mix runs from 41% built before 1960 to 13% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
Renters occupy 32% 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 28 times a year here, close to 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 expectMain heating fuel in Phelps County's occupied homes: 56% utility gas, 37% electric, 6% 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 Phelps County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Dawson, Furnas and Gosper get more pipe-freeze nights than Phelps. Furnas County has the oldest housing nearby, with 84% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Phelps | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 41% | 49% | 68 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 66% | 73% | 69 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 13% | 12% | 40 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 5.2% | 5% | 44 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 6.1% | 14% | 82 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 6% | 19% | 87 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 61/yr | 64/yr | 55 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 4/yr | 5.1/yr | 62 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 115/yr | 112/yr | 41 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 28/yr | 27/yr | 40 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 Phelps County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in April, May and June.
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