Pierce County, Nebraska · Pierce
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With 52% of homes built before 1960 and about 70 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
June brings the most downpours to Pierce County, part of 4.4 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
52% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Pierce County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.67 inches, and about 104 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
30% of occupied homes in Pierce County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 27 times a year in Pierce County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 7,325 people live in Pierce County, 573 square miles in northeast Nebraska, in roughly 3,136 homes. The county seat is Pierce, and Plainview, Osmond and Hadar round out the largest towns. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1958.
57/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Pierce County ranks 26 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Pierce County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Pierce County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Nebraska. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 70 nights a year at or below 20°F (23rd of 93) and 149 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 22 days below freezing (ending March 2019), and the low bottomed out near -29°F on February 16, 2021.
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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 13 and end around Apr 29.
Rainfall is about average for Nebraska. The county gets about 26.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 4.4 days of an inch or more (56th of 93). Those downpours cluster in May, June and July, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.67 inches on August 31, 2021. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.05 inches, ending August 17, 2017, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 104 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
73% of homes in Pierce County predate 1980, close to the Nebraska county median of 73.1%, which ranks 46th of Nebraska's 93 counties.
The mix runs from 52% built before 1960 to 10% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 27 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 Pierce County's occupied homes: 40% utility gas, 27% electric, 29% propane and 1% wood. Propane heat is more common here than in most Nebraska counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Pierce County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Wayne gets more pipe-freeze nights than Pierce. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Antelope County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Pierce | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 52% | 49% | 37 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 73% | 73% | 46 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 10% | 12% | 59 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 3.7% | 5% | 66 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 9.4% | 14% | 69 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 30% | 19% | 26 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 70/yr | 64/yr | 23 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 4.4/yr | 5.1/yr | 56 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 104/yr | 112/yr | 61 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 27/yr | 27/yr | 46 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 Pierce 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