Sherman County, Nebraska · Loup City
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Sherman County averages 64 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 49% of its homes predate 1960.
Basements flood here mostly in May. Sherman County averages 5.1 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Sherman County spike on heavy-rain days, about 5.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 116 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
30% of occupied homes in Sherman 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 22 times a year in Sherman County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
With 1,796 homes and around 2,967 residents, Sherman County is 566 square miles of central Nebraska. Loup City is the county seat; Litchfield, Ashton and Rockville are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1962, half after.
49/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Sherman County ranks 52 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Sherman County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Sherman County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 64 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 46th of 93 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 21 days below freezing (ending March 2019), and the low bottomed out near -27°F on February 15, 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 12 and end around May 4.
Rainfall is about average for Nebraska. Of roughly 25.6 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 5.1 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 46th of 93. April, May and July see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.21 inches, August 16, 2017. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.31 inches, ending April 19, 2016, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 116 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 73% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Sherman near the middle of Nebraska's 93 counties.
The mix runs from 49% built before 1960 to 10% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
14% 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 26% 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
Sherman County averages 22 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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 Sherman County's occupied homes: 33% utility gas, 35% electric, 25% 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 Sherman County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Custer, Greeley and Valley get more pipe-freeze nights than Sherman. Greeley County has the oldest housing nearby, with 74% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Sherman | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 49% | 49% | 47 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 73% | 73% | 45 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 10% | 12% | 59 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 14% | 5% | 8 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 26% | 14% | 13 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 30% | 19% | 25 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 64/yr | 64/yr | 46 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.1/yr | 5.1/yr | 46 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 116/yr | 112/yr | 39 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 22/yr | 27/yr | 55 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 Sherman County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in April, May 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